Inner peace and global harmony: Individual wellbeing and global solutions in the art of living
Abstract
This paper explores the discourse in the Art of Living (AOL), a Hindu derived transnational meditation movement, which suggests that solutions to global problems are best addressed at the individual level. Ethnographic fieldwork, qualitative interviews and an analysis of published material suggest that the primary concern of the AOL is the reduction of stress and anxiety for the individual practitioner. This reduction of stress not only means that the individual practitioner develops ‘inner peace’, but also contributes to global harmony. AOL is an exemplar of ‘therapeutic solutions’, which are characterized by disillusionment with established institutions and a quest for inner meaning. AOL articulates this therapeutic solution, not only in terms of narcissistic needs, but links this quest for inner meaning to wider social and global concernsCitation
Jacobs, S. (2014) 'Inner Peace and Global Harmony: Individual Wellbeing and Global Solutions in the Art of Living', Culture Unbound: Journal of Current Cultural Research, 6 (4) p.873Publisher
Liköping UniversityJournal
Culture Unbound: Journal of Current Cultural ResearchType
Journal articleLanguage
enISSN
2000-1525ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.3384/cu.2000.1525.146873
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