Living a Spiritual Experience: The Problem of Searching for a Conceptual Basis (by Materials of an Empirical Research)

The problem of the article is the identification, description and analysis of modern Russian women's spiritual experience, methods of its living, and sensations. The author considers spiritual search as a manifestation of spirituality. The possibilities of revealing the features of spiritual experience, including in contrast to the religious one, are evaluated. To study the problem, a qualitative methodology was used (in-depth interviews were conducted with women with experience in spiritual search, living in large cities of Russia). Interpretation of semantic constructions is revealed within the framework of coding (according to the methodology of the "grounded theory" by Anselm Strauss and Juliet Corbin). As a result, the nature of states and situations, which are the starting point of a spiritual search, is revealed. This nature is described as life impulses, desires, internal state, social framework, life situation. To overcome a situation, condition or to satisfy an emerging desire, to restrain the impulse, women begin "spiritual" search. In the course of their spiritual search, women use active and interactive, individual and group search tools. The informants describe the process of spiritual search through a number of specific categories, and, in this, the spiritual aspect of the search manifests itself. In the course of a spiritual search, gaining spiritual experience, informants fix certain sensations: a significant part of the sensations is associated with the sensation of the process and the efforts that have to be made; part of the sensations is associated with discoveries or revelations, insights to which a woman comes. The informants are sure that the acquired knowledge is their personal revelation, contact with the supernatural. The difficulties of using the term "spirituality" in the Russian scientific discourse connected with its association with certain cultural codes and conditions are also indicated. The difficulties of finding a theoretical framework for the study of spiritual experience in the sciences on religion, the difficulties of distinguishing between spiritual and religious experience are shown. The women revealed the presence of an implicit attitude to spirituality, manifested in women's willingness to participate in spiritual practices, to immerse themselves in spiritual search, to share ideas close to non-institutional religiosity, spirituality. The informants clearly articulated their position regarding religion, designating spiritual practices in which they participate as non-religious. The results can be used in subsequent qualitative studies of spirituality in Russia and in the preparation of quantitative empirical studies.

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