Ace Simpson and Alan Herbert - Rapture and Rupture: Experiences of Former Ashram Residents

Rapture and Rupture: Experiences of Former Ashram Residents
Alan Herbert - Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies
Ace Simpson - Brunel University London
In this study we interviewed 40 former ashram residents, who had lived in VaisnavaHindu ashrams in either the UK, US, Australia or New Zealand for at least a year before the year 2000. The year 2000 or earlier was selected for participant inclusion to ensure that the members had been outside of the ashram environment for almost 20 years. Participants were recruited using a snowball sampling method, with a balance of males and females. Findings were analysed using theories of narrative self and the social imaginary (Ricoeur, 1995; Castoriadis, 1975). Emergent narratives described ambivalent feelings of both gratitude for having had the experience as an ashram resident and all learned from the philosophy, rituals, community, values and a strong sense of meaning. Contrastingly, there were also narratives of painful experiences of life in a new and immature movement, where managers were little qualified for their roles, conditions were often austere, and individual needs were often neglected. There appeared to be a cognitive dissonance involving rapture and pain. On the one hand, many participants displayed faith in the teachings and an overriding respect for the founder guru. They also sustained practices involving vegetarianism, chanting, and varying degrees of participation with community activities and members. Having left the ashram long ago, many employed internal jargon unfamiliar to outsiders, despite the researchers’ efforts to use neutral language. This all indicated that participants continued imaging themselves as “devotees” or “ashram members”. Yet, on the other hand, very few of the entire participant cohort maintained active formal relationships with the institution due to a rupture with institutional authorities and expectations. Many described the interview as cathartic. Still, fear of being overly critical (even when invited to provide constructive criticism) appeared to be a concern for many, and in a couple of instances interviewees called back to clarify negative statements.