Smelling Things: Essential Oils and Essentialism in Contemporary American Spirituality

IF 0.3 3区 哲学 Q2 HISTORY RELIGION AND AMERICAN CULTURE-A JOURNAL OF INTERPRETATION Pub Date : 2021-09-02 DOI:10.1017/rac.2021.13
Kira Ganga Kieffer
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引用次数: 1

Abstract

ABSTRACT Contemporary yogis, evangelical Christians, and witches have incorporated essential oils and their aromas into practices as diverse as yoga, meditation, prayer, Bible reading, anointing, and spellcasting in the United States over the past forty years. These groups often view each other with alarm, yet they tread common ground in utilizing essential oils to intensify varied spiritual practices. This article answers two related questions. How do spiritually diverse practitioners justify using the same consumer products to amplify their practices, and why are essential oils considered sacred by these same consumers? Drawing from a diverse archive of essential oil use guides, marketing materials, and social media posts, I argue that spiritual “oilers” are (1) perennialists who mythologize ancient uses of scent to authenticate their postmodern embodied practices, and (2) essentialists who believe that essential oils contain universal, transcendent properties. Consequently, oilers’ beliefs and practices blur classifications between traditions and sharpen our attention to the importance of the sense of smell in contemporary spirituality. This project contributes to studies of spirituality and consumerism by offering a comparative analysis of how three groups use smell, via essential oils, to intensify their individual spiritual practices as well as their collective identities as oilers.
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闻东西:当代美国精神中的精油和本质主义
在过去的四十年里,美国的当代瑜伽修行者、福音派基督徒和女巫都将精油及其香气融入到瑜伽、冥想、祈祷、圣经阅读、涂油和施咒等各种各样的练习中。这些团体经常以警惕的眼光看待彼此,但他们在使用精油来加强各种精神实践方面有着共同的立场。本文回答了两个相关的问题。精神上不同的从业者如何证明使用相同的消费产品来扩大他们的实践,为什么精油被这些消费者认为是神圣的?从精油使用指南、营销材料和社交媒体帖子的各种档案中,我认为精神上的“加油者”是(1)永恒主义者,他们将古代气味的使用神话化,以验证他们后现代的体现实践;(2)本质主义者,他们相信精油含有普遍的、超越的属性。因此,油工的信仰和实践模糊了传统之间的分类,并使我们更加关注嗅觉在当代灵性中的重要性。这个项目对灵性和消费主义的研究做出了贡献,通过对三个群体如何通过精油使用气味来加强他们个人的精神实践以及他们作为精油者的集体身份进行比较分析。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
0.40
自引率
25.00%
发文量
7
期刊介绍: Religion and American Culture is devoted to promoting the ongoing scholarly discussion of the nature, terms, and dynamics of religion in America. Embracing a diversity of methodological approaches and theoretical perspectives, this semiannual publication explores the interplay between religion and other spheres of American culture. Although concentrated on specific topics, articles illuminate larger patterns, implications, or contexts of American life. Edited by Philip Goff, Stephen Stein, and Peter Thuesen.
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