16633: Developing a Spiritual Research Paradigm Focused on Experience and Storytelling.

Recent years have seen an upsurge in explorations of spiritual research. Of great interest and foundational guidance in this session is the theoretical foundation laid by McGilchrist’s (2009; 2021) left versus right hemisphere psychology, with left hemisphere thinking driven by reductionist thinking, instrumental rationality, detached objectivity, fragmentation, control, and manipulation, and right hemisphere thinking a broader perspective, emphasizing context, relationships, and interconnectedness. The thrust of this PDW is to collectively explore spiritual experience and storytelling as the foundation and methodological approach for spiritual research, based on the core notion that without lived experience, the world cannot be known. Facilitators and participants will have ample opportunities to share and brainstorm about their spiritual experiences, particularly those revolving around an “epiphany.” Specifically, we plan to explore the following questions regarding spiritual experiences that might be seen as part of a spiritual research paradigm: 1) What circumstances triggers spiritual experiences? 2) What are the consequences of spiritual experiences in the lives of those who have them? 3) How can we express, capture and share our spiritual experiences more meaningfully?