by Annalisa Ventola, PA Executive Director
In recent years, the concept of “embodied spirituality” has gained traction as a way to bridge the divide between the spiritual and the physical. As Anderson and Braud (2011) have explored, this perspective emphasizes the role of the body as a mediator of spiritual experiences, shifting us away from traditional frameworks that separate the mind and body. Practices like mindfulness meditation and yoga demonstrate how physical awareness can promote deep insight, framing the body as an active participant in exceptional and spiritual experiences.
By integrating physical awareness into spiritual practice, embodied spirituality reframes how we approach phenomena that lie at the edges of our understanding. This has profound implications for parapsychology, a field where the interplay between mind, body, and environment challenges conventional explanations. Exceptional experiences, particularly those involving psi phenomena like telepathy, precognition, and psychokinesis, have generally been studied through cognitive or informational lenses. However, considering these experiences as lived, somatic events may open new doors for understanding how psi manifests in our embodied existence.
By integrating physical awareness into spiritual practice, embodied spirituality reframes how we approach phenomena that lie at the edges of our understanding.
For example, research shows that altered states of consciousness—achieved through meditation, breathwork, or even psychedelics—are often described as deeply physical experiences. Participants frequently report heightened intuitive or telepathic abilities linked to practices that encourage somatic grounding. This involves techniques like breath regulation, mindfulness of physical sensations, and grounding exercises that reconnect individuals with their bodily experience, fostering a state of embodied presence. These methods appear to create a state of embodied presence conducive to the emergence of psi phenomena by quieting everyday distractions and anchoring individuals in the present moment, thereby creating optimal conditions for psi phenomena to emerge (Alibalaei & Ilavarasu, 2024). Understanding this connection requires us to see the body not only as a site of experience but as a co-creator of these extraordinary events. This invites important questions: Could specific bodily states mediate psi effects? And how might these states be intentionally cultivated?
It’s also worth considering the ecological dimensions of embodied spirituality. Practices that cultivate a sense of interconnectedness with nature, such as eco-meditations or grounding exercises in natural settings, invite us to explore the interplay between human consciousness and the broader environment. For instance, group meditative practices focused on ecological restoration have been shown to foster a heightened sense of responsibility and collective purpose (Ray et al., 2021). These activities can deepen participants’ understanding of their roles within ecosystems, potentially amplifying efforts toward sustainability. Furthermore, studies on intention-based practices suggest that collective focus on environmental well-being can lead to measurable shifts in attitudes and behaviors, paving the way for greater harmony between humanity and the natural world (Nicol, 2015). These practices not only support individual well-being but also inspire a shared commitment to ecological resilience, offering a compelling perspective on how embodied spirituality can align human potential with environmental sustainability.
As parapsychology continues to evolve, the principles of embodied spirituality may potentially provide a framework for exploring connections between mind, body, and the world around us. By integrating somatic awareness, movement, and ecological interconnectedness into our research paradigms, we may uncover new dimensions of human potential that bridge the extraordinary and the everyday. Exceptional experiences, after all, are not just “in our heads”; they are lived, felt, and deeply embodied.
Alibalaei, H., & Ilavarasu, J. (2024). The potential impact of yoga practices on extraordinary human abilities: A scoping review. Journal of Applied Consciousness Studies, 12(2), 114–137. https://doi.org/10.4103/jacs.jacs_15_24
Anderson, R., & Braud, W. (2011). Transforming self and others through research: Transpersonal research methods and skills for the human sciences and humanities. State University of New York Press.
Nicol, D. (2015). Subtle activism: The inner dimension of social and planetary transformation. State University of New York Press.
Ray, T. N., Franz, S. A., Jarrett, N. L., & Pickett, S. M. (2021). Nature enhanced meditation: Effects on mindfulness, connectedness to nature, and pro-environmental behavior. Environment and Behavior, 53(8), 864–890. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916520952452
Lead Editor Jacob W. Glazier, PhDAssistant Professor of Psychology, University of West Georgia Jacob W. Glazier, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Psychology in the School of Social Sciences at the University of West Georgia. His research revolves around critical theory, subjectivity, and exceptional experiences. Dr. Glazier’s areas of research interest in parapsychology include ecology …
The Mindfield Bulletin is a publication of the Parapsychological Association edited by Jacob W. Glazier (Lead Editor) with Anastasia Wasko (Associate Editor). It features theoretical, research, and historical articles along with columns by the PA President and PA Executive Director, news in the field, bibliographies of articles relevant to the study of parapsychology, and articles …
The contributors to this issue of Mindfield expound on the literature revolving around health and contemplative practices. In their editorial, Jacob W. Glazier and Anastasia Wasko call attention to the way that normative notions of health prescribe specific ways of being at the expense of those more conducive to exceptional experience. Everton Maraldi discusses the …
by Bonney Gulino Schaub and Richard Schaub
