“Re-Visioning Ethnography Through Meditative Practice: The Proposal for a Contemplative Anthropology and Its Experience through Visual Elicitation Technique” by Federico Divino, Visual and Digital Cultures research center at the University of Antwerp

Abstract: This article introduces a novel method presently in development that integrates ethnography and visual elicitation techniques to explore meditative experiences and investigate consciousness. Central to this method is the utilization of mandala-like images as a means to capture the dynamic evolution of consciousness during contemplative practices. The utilization of mandala drawings has been extensively developed in psychological study inspired by the work of C. G. Jung. In this study, I will elaborate on how this methodology has been adapted to suit the needs of qualitative ethnographic research within the framework of a visual elicitation methodology tailored to studies on meditative practices. This article provides an illustrative case study that scrutinizes the method’s potential applications and contributions within the domain of anthropological research on contemplative practices. The study critically examines the method’s historical evolution, signifying a notable shift in ethnographic focus toward meditation, and probes the dissolution of subjectivity boundaries that is inherent in meditative contexts. The research methodology is rooted in fundamental principles emphasizing participants’ direct experiences in meditation, the iterative construction of multistage mandalas, and a purposeful departure from conventional artistic norms during the drawing process. The present case study serves as an illustrative portrayal of the visual data derived from meditation sessions, offering insights into the transformative nature of contemplative experiences.

Keywords: Contemplative Anthropology; ethnography; visual elicitation; mandala images; Consciousness Studies; meditation experiences; subjectivity boundaries.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.57010/BVHW5813

This article is a part of Special Issue 1: Psychedelics, Contemplation, and Religion, Guest edited by Daniel A. Hirshberg and Stuart Ray Sarbacker.