Presentation

From meditation, yoga, reiki and dance to modern Paganism and mediumship, many mind-body techniques as well as religious, ritual and therapeutic practices, among numerous contemporary experiences, are nowadays labelled as “spiritual”. However, despite the worldwide mobility of these practices, their wide diversity and the fact that their leaders have been prolific producers of knowledge, anthropologists have not fully embraced contemporary spiritual practices as a legitimate field.

Founded in 2021, the Contemporary ‘Spiritual’ Practices Network (CSP Network) seeks to fill this gap in current anthropology by advocating the extensive use of both (multimodal) ethnography and comparison. Open to all “spiritual” practices regardless of their cultural contexts, our aim is twofold: to strengthen the production of anthropological knowledge and its dissemination within academia and beyond; and to foster international exchanges and collaborations between anthropologists, including young scholars, through a diverse and high-quality range of activities and training.

Membership

Membership to our CSP Network is open to all trained anthropologists working, from an ethnographic perspective, in the field of contemporary spiritual practices. Being an active EASA member is not mandatory, although we do recommend it.

Interested in joining us? Please, contact us via our Network’s email address.

All members of the CSP Network must agree to follow the EASA Code of Conduct and Anti-Harassment Policy.