Summary: This project aims to investigate the nexus between (con)spirituality and science in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ward and Voas (2011) first coined the term ‘conspirituality’ to describe the merger of New Age spirituality and conspiracy theories. The project seeks to provide a deeper understanding of this phenomena, and the processes of radicalisation occurring within spiritual communities. It will also illuminate the internal diversities and complexities within these communities, that may indicate a lesser cohesion that the term ‘conspirituality’ implies. We therefore bracket the ‘con’ to signal the term’s potentially problematic nature. The project thereby investigates a wide spectrum of spiritual beliefs and practices that co-opt or critique scientific orthodoxy, including those that are non-controversial, those that may indeed be ‘cons’, and those that adhere to conspiracy theories.
This project aims to interrogate the full spectrum of how Australian self-identified spiritual persons and groups engage with science in material and digital practices by asking:
- How do spiritual persons and groups in Australia engage with science?
- How have they done so historically?
- How are they doing so now, during the COVID-19 pandemic?
- What are the benefits and risks of (con)spiritual practices in Australia?
- What level of threat to social cohesion does (con)spirituality pose?
This research addresses the aims of the INSBS and the Small Research Grant scheme as it examines the complex nexus between science and religion in relation to the topical social issue of (con)spirituality, focusing primarily on individuals’ lived experiences in Australia. The projects’ outputs are aimed to reveal a more nuanced understanding of (con)spirituality, to inform perceptions of and attitudes toward spiritual movements and conspiracy theories among their adherents and the broader public. In doing so, the project will provide a greater knowledge of the benefits and risks of spiritual practices and ideas, in and beyond Australia.
