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Publish or perish is the cautionary aphorism reminding academics to produce academic work for career longevity. For communities historically excluded from tertiary institutions, this aphorism can also signify a responsibility to ensure their voices are heard. Tertiary institutions recognise the importance of fostering productive writing opportunities; and writing retreats are a valuable approach. This article demonstrates the importance of writing retreats from the perspective of Indigenous postgraduate scholars in Australia. Two writing retreats were held off-campus in 2018–2019. To identify the impact of the writing retreats, we (the participants in the retreat) used an active participatory approach to explore our experiences using data collected from Yarning circles and written critical self-reflections. We identified three key themes: (1) writing retreats as supportive spaces for academic writing, (2) the development of an ongoing community of practice and (3) the importance of managing cultural risk in Indigenous programs. The findings demonstrate the importance of providing culturally grounded opportunities that support Indigenous scholarship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arts Magazine is the property of Thamar University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Psychedelic experiences are often compared to “transformative experiences” due to their potential to change how people think and behave. This study empirically examines whether psychedelic experiences constitute transformative experiences. Given psychedelics’ prospective applications as treatments for mental health disorders, this study also explores neuroethical issues raised by the possibility of biomedically directed transformation—namely, consent and moral psychopharmacology. To achieve these aims, we used both inductive and deductive coding techniques to analyze transcripts from interviews with 26 participants in psychedelic retreats. Results indicate that psychedelic experiences can constitute transformative experiences. Twenty participants reported experiences or insights that were seemingly inaccessible or impossible to attain if not for the psychoactive effects of psychedelics. All participants besides one reported some change in identity, values, beliefs, desires, and behavior—changes in behavior being the most common. Participants also reported feeling capable deciding to use psychedelics in part due to information seeking prior to their retreats. Finally, several participants reported an enhanced capacity for enacting changes in their lives. Our results underscore both the importance of subjective embodiment to transformation and the role of transformative agency in shaping outcomes of the psychedelic experience. We examine our results relative to neuroethical issues and advocate for centering the person in psychedelic research and neuroethical inquiry about psychedelics to avoid pitfalls associated with psychedelics’ potential as moral psychopharmacological agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We sought to address a growing debate regarding the adverse and salutary impact of unusual, extraordinary or intense subjective experiences during meditation-based interventions. To do so, we empirically characterized such peak experiences during an intensive meditation intervention and their impact postintervention. Method: We conducted a preregistered prospective intervention study among 96 adults who registered for 6-day insight (Vipassana) mindfulness meditation retreats and 47 matched controls. Controls were selected from a pool of 543 people recruited from the same community of meditators as retreat participants and systematically matched to retreat participants on age and lifetime meditation experience. Measures included the novel Peak Meditative Experience Scale and the Impact of PMES. Results: Seventeen peak experiences that were primarily pleasant (e.g., deep and unusual peace, aha! Moment) occurred more frequently among retreat participants than among matched controls in daily living (ps <.05; mean ϕ =.33). In contrast, 14 peak experiences that were mostly unpleasant (e.g., flashbacks, overwhelming sadness) occurred at similar rates in both groups (ps >.05). At 2-week follow-up, the perceived impact of all pleasant and most unpleasant peak experiences was more salutary than adverse (ps ≤.015; M Cohen's d = 1.61). Conclusions: Peak experiences that resulted from meditation retreats were primarily pleasant and had a large salutary impact postretreat. Inconsistent with conclusions from uncontrolled retrospective studies, findings document that intensive insight mindfulness meditation training in retreats may not contribute to unpleasant peak experiences and even when they occurred their impact was typically more salutary than adverse. What is the public health significance of this article?: In light of the exponential adoption of meditation training in interventions and treatments for a variety of mental health disorders and problems, it is critical for public health to better understand the positive and harmful impacts of meditation training. The study provides evidence that intensive insight mindfulness meditation training may lead to unusual experiences which are primarily pleasant and have a large positive impact on participants' lives. Critically, findings challenge widely held assumptions in the science of mindfulness and meditation by documenting that intensive insight mindfulness meditation training may not contribute to unusual and harmful unpleasant experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Larq Journal for Philosophy, Linguistics & Social Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Jungian psychotherapist Dr. Edward Tick has worked with American veterans of foreign wars for decades. During that time, he learned that one of the most effective paths to healing was to guide Vietnam veterans back there to retrieve their souls that had been left behind, often for decades. He took the acronym PTSD and translated it as Post-traumatic Soul Distress. Those in the medical profession worked with the physical injuries of traumatized veterans; however, they overlooked the trauma to the souls of these returning warriors. Tick and his wife, Kate Dahlstedt, founded Soldier's Heart () in order to travel more deeply into the mythology, spirituality, and psychology of woundedness. He continues his work today in branching out to a larger population suffering the wounds of a society itself in need of soul intervention. There, too, he deepens his interest in ancient forms of healing in the tradition of the ancient healer Asklepios, by guiding pilgrims to ancient healing sites in Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is about the spiritual work of the Jesuit parents in Spanish America and the expulsion of the Jesuits by Carlos III of Spain. Despite the expulsion, Blessed María Antonia de San José continued to teach the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises in Argentina for four decades. María Antonia was born in 1730 in Santiago del Estero and came from a wealthy family. Throughout her life, María Antonia dedicated herself to organizing the teaching of spiritual exercises in different areas of Argentina, carrying with her the wooden cross used by the Jesuits. María Antonia de San José arrived in Buenos Aires in 1779 and had difficulties adapting due to insults and accusations of witchcraft. However, Bishop Sebastián Malvar became her ally and granted her permission to conduct the Spiritual Exercises. María Antonia built the House of Spiritual Exercises in 1792, where thousands of people participated in spiritual retreats. Despite objections and requirements imposed by the authorities, María Antonia managed to get people from different social classes and ethnicities to participate in the retreats. Her work was successful due to the trust that the people placed in her. María Antonia passed away in 1799, leaving a spiritual legacy in Argentina. [Extracted from the article]

The author of the text, the director of the Kolín Monastery - Centre for Spirituality and Spiritual Retreats, outlines the history and current practice of spiritual guidance in the Kolín Monastery. He describes the spiritual roots the project is based on, and the traditions that converge within it, reflected in the focused spiritual retreats. Whether it's Carmelite spirituality, Ignatian retreats, or even film retreats or self-awareness courses based on contemporary therapeutic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Academic Parish in Prague is a parish that collaborates with students, graduates, scientists, and artists to help them develop and deepen their faith. The parish offers various activities such as spiritual retreats and spiritual guidance. Collaboration with the Spirituality Center in the Kolín Monastery is particularly important. The parish also strives to reach out to people who have no interest in the church or faith but are still interested in spirituality and spiritual life. It offers a course on the fundamentals of faith and organizes joint activities to create a community. Many participants decide to be baptized or confirmed after the course and continue to participate in spiritual conversations. The parish emphasizes the importance of spiritual reform and offers opportunities for deepening spiritual life, such as meditation and contemplation. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Larq Journal for Philosophy, Linguistics & Social Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Research retreats are elements of scientific graduate training programs. Although expected to provide strong educational value, some students are reluctant to attend. Here, we identify participation barriers and provide guidelines for retreat design that minimize obstacles and establish an inclusive environment to improve attendance and enrichment for all attendees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PhD candidates face heavy workloads and lack strategies to prioritize their dissertation, resulting in limited writing opportunities and low confidence in writing capabilities. Although writing retreats are known to propel academics' writing productivity, little is known about how they may assist PhD candidates in enhancing writing self-efficacy and self-regulation. An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Method with a quasi-experimental design was used to examine the impacts of writing retreats on PhD candidates' internal factors (writing self-efficacy and self-regulation) and external factors (urgency and opportunities to write). An experimental group (n = 34) and a control group (n = 64) answered a questionnaire measuring retreat effects, after which a subsample (n = 30) was interviewed to further interpret these effects. In sum, writing retreats enhance PhD candidates' writing self-efficacy and self-regulation through goals setting and time management practices. Recommendations are provided about using socially structured writing activities to support PhD candidates' dissertation advancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trend for solo travel has been seen increasing day by day amongst women, especially in the post-COVID-19 scenarios. The current study examines the various factors that act as motivators for solo women in wellness retreat centres. In addition, the significance of social support has been analyzed with overall experience and satisfaction with wellness retreats. Data was collected from five major retreat centres in India. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 22.0 and Amos 16.0. Data analysis revealed motivations amongst the solo women travellers towards the wellness retreat centres are derived from transcendence; rejuvenation; escapism and relaxation. Findings showed that social support is an important moderator in defining overall travel experience and satisfaction amongst solo women travellers. The study will be helpful for the authorities to analyze the role of selective constructs for promoting, branding, and creating a carefree and safe destination(s) keeping in India the societal impacts women have while deciding to travel solo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the notion of the "magic of a place" and the way a space attracts groups and individuals who follow various forms of vernacular or lived religion and spirituality. The space is Sintra, an "enchanted" mountain facing the westernmost point of Europe, the Roca Cape. Classified by UNESCO as Cultural Landscape, Sintra is a unique place, a "sensuous sacred geography"; its sacredness comes from its natural setting, combined with historical layers of religious use and the way these are nowadays interpreted by individuals who live spirituality as "sensational forms" (configurations of imaginations and sensations in a context of religious and spiritual traditions). Thought of as an encapsulated magical place where innumerous groups perform their ceremonies, meditations, and spiritual retreats, Sintra is a scenario where Tweed's discussion on the sacredness of a place is highly suitable and transreligiosity and spiritual elasticity are the norm. Furthermore, through the ethnographic data presented, we will see how, within this "spiritual elasticity" directly relating to the astonishing nature of the Sintra mountain, individuals find relief for their personal crises or their collective eco-anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on university faculty, unduly those from underrepresented groups, causing many faculty to disengage. Writing communities represent a promising tool to (re-)engage faculty and build an inclusive climate. As part of U See I Write, a faculty development initiative at the University of California, Irvine, we convened a series of monthly writing retreats between March and June of 2021, with between-retreat weekly writing sessions in smaller groups and an expectation to write daily for at least 30 minutes. In a diverse cohort of 34 faculty writers, program participation resulted in a significant increase in writing and work engagement. Similar initiatives at other institutions of higher education may prove successful in faculty (re-)engagement while also advancing faculty diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pope Francis wrote the prologue of the book "First Belonging to God" by Austen Ivereigh. In the prologue, the Pope talks about the battle that every Christian faces to overcome the temptation to close oneself off and open up to the love of the Father. He also mentions that the Church offers traditions and teachings, such as spiritual retreats and the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, that help fight against this temptation. The Pope encourages belonging first to God and then to creation and others, especially those who are most in need of help. [Extracted from the article]

Rahvusvaheline lingvistikaolümpiaad kutsuti ellu 2003. aastal. Eestis seati see sisse samal aastal tänu Renate Pajusalule, kes seda vedama asus. Siinne artikkel vaatabki tagasi 20-le lingvistikaolümpiaadi aastale ning Renate rollile selles, tehes seda Renate kaasteeliste pilgu läbi. Artiklis leiavad kajastust erinevad võistlusvoorud, aga ka olümpiaadi heaks tehtavad tegevused, nagu lingvistikalaagrid, koolikülastused ja lingvistikaseminarid. Ühtlasi ilmneb artiklist, et olümpiaad ja sellega seonduv on nende 20 aasta jooksul täitnud oma laiemat eesmärki: tuhanded õpilased on saanud aimu erisugustest maailma keeltest ja ka keeleteadusest. Abstract. Miina Norvik, Linda Freienthal, Olga Gerassimenko, Airika Harrik, Axel Jagau, Reeli Torn-Leesik, Külli Prillop: 20 years of linguistics Olympiad with Renate Pajusalu. The International Linguistics Olympiad was inaugurated in 2003. The corresponding Estonian national olympiad was established in the same year thanks to the efforts of Renate Pajusalu who became its chief organiser. The present article looks back on the role played by Professor Pajusalu in the history of the Estonian linguistics olympiad through the eyes of colleagues who have been part of the process. The text recalls the different stages of the contest, as well as various tasks preparing the olympiad such as linguistics retreats, school visits to introduce it, and linguistics seminars. It is clear that the 20 years of the olympiad and events associated with it have served its overall purpose well: thousands of school students have become aware of the diversity of the world’s languages and of the science of linguistics.

A recent project focussing on students studying an Arts and Humanities Access module at the Open University revealed that students in IMD Q1 are disproportionately more likely to ‘passively’ withdraw than their peers (i.e. not submit an assignment, not register with the university their intention to defer, ultimately leading to a ‘fail’ grade for that module: Lavery & Padley, 2022). Recent data shows a significant award gap for students studying Arts and Humanities modules who have a mental health need registered with the university. Colleagues were therefore motivated to assess whether the inclusion of synchronous, online, study and support opportunities, training students in the use of the Pomodoro technique, might support success for participants. This paper outlines the approach of two projects that applied techniques associated with group writing sessions, reflecting on whether their findings demonstrate similar benefits for participants in an online, distance learning environment as for those traditionally run in the physical space (i.e. writing retreats).

The International Linguistics Olympiad was inaugurated in 2003. The corresponding Estonian national olympiad was established in the same year thanks to the efforts of Renate Pajusalu who became its chief organiser. The present article looks back on the role played by Professor Pajusalu in the history of the Estonian linguistics olympiad through the eyes of colleagues who have been part of the process. The text recalls the different stages of the contest, as well as various tasks preparing the olympiad such as linguistics retreats, school visits to introduce it, and linguistics seminars. It is clear that the 20 years of the olympiad and events associated with it have served its overall purpose well: thousands of school students have become aware of the diversity of the world's languages and of the science of linguistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Discussions in contemporary spirituality frequently highlight a phenomenon of spiritual seeking; moreover, people often describe their spiritual journeys in terms of a search. This paper takes a closer look at this metaphor by presenting a study that analysed spiritual seeking and its informational features in contemporary non-institutionalised settings. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, the authors conducted semi-structured interviews with thirteen spiritual teachers and speakers who were asked questions about spiritual seeking in contemporary non-institutionalised spirituality. Findings: The authors' participants explained that contemporary spiritual seekers sought spiritual information as a result of affective, developmental and metaphysical concerns. Moreover, their analysis indicated that spiritual information-seeking behaviour incorporated practices such as prayer, yoga and meditation, and contemporary spiritual information interactions were facilitated through spiritual retreats, meditation classes, yoga classes and online social platforms. Research limitations/implications: Since the authors focused on spiritual seeking in contemporary non-institutionalised settings, their findings cannot exhaustively represent all spiritual pursuits in contemporary society. Their study (1) identifies the informational features of contemporary spiritual seeking, (2) explains spiritual seeking as an activity that may theoretically reside within a broader framework of profound information interactions and (3) helps theorise the concept of qualitative profundity in information science research. Originality/value: This study provides an intuitive contextual approach for undertaking information research in under-explored domains such as contemplation and spirituality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For Kotva, Weil's Stoicism of her early years actually contained an Augustinian seed. The claim, novel as it was to us, was far less so to French philosophers who had a long tradition of thinking of philosophy as a spiritual matter. What Kotva says, though, surely demands that it happen somewhere, because, while I think her case has lacunae, she says so much that is important about Weil's conscious admiration for Stoicism, that it would be a mistake not to continue the job she has started with closer textual examination. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: Wellness tourism offers opportunities for consumers to explore the self. This paper aims to explore how identity transitions occur in a liminal tourism space – a holistic wellness retreat. Design/methodology/approach: The authors adopt a qualitative methodology, including in-depth semi-structured interviews supplemented by various projective techniques. Following an interpretivist approach, eight consumers were interviewed at the commencement and the completion of a holistic wellness retreat stay. Participant observation was also undertaken during the retreat programme. Findings: The paper shows an identity transition is facilitated by the liminal space of the holistic wellness retreat and further shaped by self-work during the retreat. As participants gain new knowledge on the self and start living "consciously", they gain a sense of vision, clarity and direction to a new self, wherein identity transition is a starting point and a process of change rather than an end goal. Originality/value: While much past research views tourism activities as mainly "play", the findings reveal the holistic wellness retreat experiences as both identity play and identity work. This paper provides theoretical insights into the process from identity play to identity work and what makes this process effective for identity transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developments in qualitative research methods recognize the benefits of working with material objects to evoke memories, stories, and reflections on specific topics. Through engagement with materialist theory and methods, our research demonstrates that more than simply eliciting storied responses, self-chosen material objects can in fact co-tell stories in novel ways. This article draws on our storied experiences as a group of women who took part in a four-day residential storying retreat. Our qualitatively driven research employed a range of multi-modal methodologies; however, this article focuses on a particular method that involved co-telling personal stories with the aid of self-selected objects. This method embodies the emotive and co-constitutive power, relational materiality, and reflective potency of object-centered storying. The article builds on and extends qualitative methodologies that value more-than-rational ways of researching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Teología y Vida is the property of Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Facultad de Teologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To overcome the assumption that dissertation writing is an anxiety-provoking process, this multi-phase mixed-method research aimed to develop a comprehensive picture of writing enjoyment in the context of doctoral studies, as well as to understand if and how writing in the company of others can enhance dissertation writing enjoyment. Firstly, we interviewed 30 PhD students to conceptualize writing enjoyment. These qualitative results revealed that dissertation writing enjoyment represents a moment of clarity when doctoral students' ideas are easily extracted from the mind to be written as a tangible text perceived to be of high quality. Then, based on a pre-experimental design, a T-test was used to compare the scores of writing enjoyment and sense of writing community for two equivalent groups in terms of sociodemographic and academic profiles: 59 PhD students participating in writing retreats (experimental group) and 59 PhD students writing alone (control group). Overall, the experimental group shows higher writing enjoyment. Lastly, 15 PhD students participating in writing retreats were interviewed to understand how writing in the company of others seems to enhance writing enjoyment, that is, by way of social flow. Finally, this article provides empirical evidence for reforming pedagogical practices to foster PhD students' positive emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty-first century graduates need to have the aptitude to be critical thinkers and capacity to make balanced judgements. The undergraduate dissertation (capstone/independent research project) is normally undertaken at the end of the degree programme enabling students to demonstrate their ability to apply, analysis, synthesis and evaluate their knowledge. Despite the pedagogical importance of the dissertation and the implication of them for the undergraduate student experience, much of the literature on dissertations focuses on: design, structure and implementation; teaching and learning strategies; assessment criteria and marking standards; and, students' development of subject-specific skills, personal attributes and transferable skills. However, the question remains how best to support and motivate undergraduate students in the final stages of the dissertation "write-up" process. This paper investigates and assesses the use of "writing retreats" within the final stages of the undergraduate dissertation process. Despite the benefits of writing retreats, they have to date typically only been offered to academic and research staff and postgraduate research students but not undergraduate students. This paper demonstrates that writing retreats are a feasible intervention tool that facilitates attitudinal changes, such as enhanced motivation, increased confidence and a more positive outlook on the final writing process of their independent research projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For Daoism, the wilderness of nature beyond human society has often been viewed as a site for eremitic retreat in spiritual solitude, a realm where an individual can transcend the limits of social existence. While this tradition flourished in the early medieval Wei-Jin period, Daoism-inspired Dark Learning thinkers of the time also explored ways in which such a realm of solitude could be attained and enjoyed without the necessity of leaving behind the mundane world, an endeavor that has clear parallels with the function of solitude in Emerson's Transcendentalism. This paper focuses on three sites where both Emerson and Dark Learning thinkers located such access to solitude: aesthetic appreciation of nature, metaphysical speculation, and authentic social relationships. In both Emerson and Dark Learning, the universal implications of metaphysical speculation provided a path by which the solitude and independence attainable in the wilderness of nature could be connected to individuals in social life, providing a foundation for ethics outside of traditional authority that led both Emerson and Dark Learning to face similar criticisms from more conservative contemporaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decade, the consumption of psilocybin mushrooms has become a popular therapeutic tool for people looking to deal with mental and emotional health issues. The emerging interest in psilocybin therapy in the global north has led to the development of retreat centers in locations where psilocybin is legal or unregulated. Drawing on ethnographic research at a psilocybin retreat center in Jamaica, this article examines the emotional and somatic reactions attributed to psilocybin that influence the social interactions and the mental and emotional state of the guests at this retreat center. We argue that guests go through a symbolic healing process that involves the construction of a meaning response based on internal and collective experiences of altered consciousness via psilocybin. Additionally, we emphasize how both attending the retreat and the psychedelic experience there can be considered a liminal state that leads to different modes of relation while in Jamaica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]