Velhice e conversão religiosa. Suas implicações para os estudos gerontológicos / Old age and religious conversion. Its implications for gerontological studies

O presente estudo objetivou examinar a interface entre conversão religiosa e velhice. Para isso, foi ouvida e analisada a opinião de seis pessoas que experimentaram a conversão religiosa após os sessenta anos de idade. Do escopo dos resultados encontrados, destaca-se o impacto das crenças religiosas como um campo de pesquisa de grande importância para a ciência gerontológica, ao contribuir para a promoção da qualidade de vida das pessoas idosas.

This study had the purpose of examining the relationship between religious conversion and old age. With this research objective in view, six people older than sixty years of age, were interviewed and their religious conversion analyzed. Under this heading, the data showed the impact that religious beliefs can have on the lives of the elderly is a major field of research for the science of gerontology that can contribute to promoting a better quality of life for the elderly.

Conversão religiosa: buscando significados na religião / Religious conversion: searching meaning in religion

O objetivo desta pesquisa foi investigar os sentidos daquilo que comumente se chama de "conversão religiosa", como se deu a vivência do fenômeno e que consequências essa experiência teve na vida dos participantes. Foram entrevistadas quatro pessoas que se definiram como evangélicas ou simpatizantes dessa religião, as quais diziam ter vivenciado uma experiência de conversão religiosa. As entrevistas foram analisadas qualitativamente dentro de um enfoque fenomenológico. A experiência de conversão religiosa se mostrou um elemento fundamental no processo de transformação das significações de vida dos participantes. As transformações se mostraram a partir de novas concepções de mundo, novos valores, mudanças de comportamentos, sentimentos de força, harmonia e felicidade.

The objective of this research was to investigate the meaning of that is commonly called "religious conversion", how the experience of the phenomenon took place and what consequences this experience had on the participants1 lives. We interviewed four people who defined themselves as evangelical or supporters of this religion, who claimed to have experienced a religious conversion experience. The interviews were qualitatively analyzed using a phenomenological approach. The religious conversion experience proved a key element in the transformation process of the meaning of the participants' lives. The changes are shown from new worldviews, new values, changes in behavior, feelings of strength, harmony and happiness.

O papel da experiência religiosa no enfrentamento de aflições e problemas de saúde / The role of religious experience in facing up to afflictions and health problems / El papel de la experiência religiosa al afrontar aflicciones y problemas de salud

O presente artigo aborda a relação entre a experiência religiosa e o enfrentamento de situações de aflição e adoecimento. Por meio da análise de trajetórias de conversão e adesão religiosa de famílias negras que buscavam alívio para os seus sofrimentos ou problemas de saúde, buscou-se compreender de que forma a experiência religiosa interfere no modo de conduzir a vida e no enfrentamento de situações adversas. O trabalho integra uma pesquisa mais ampla de caráter etnográfico, realizada em um bairro popular de Salvador, Bahia. A partir de entrevistas semiestruturadas e imersão em campo, constatou-se que as famílias investigadas recorriam às mais variadas religiões buscando amenizar o sofrimento físico ou espiritual, individual ou familiar, produzindo trajetórias singulares que refletem a diversidade de crenças e alternativas de cura oferecidas por instituições religiosas na contemporaneidade.

This article assesses the relationship between religious experience and facing up to situations of affliction and illness. Through analysis on the paths to conversion and religious adherence among black families who sought relief for their distress or health problems, an understanding of how religious experience influences people's ways of conducting their lives and facing up to adverse situations was sought. This study formed part of a broader research project of ethnographic nature that was conducted in a poor district of Salvador, Bahia. Through semi-structured interviews and field immersion, it was observed that the families investigated resorted to a wide variety of religions in their search for relief for their physical or spiritual distress of individual or family nature. Thus, singular paths were produced, which reflected the diversity of beliefs and cure alternatives offered by religious institutions in the contemporary world.

El presente artículo plantea la relación entre la experiencia religiosa y el enfrentamiento de los momentos de aflicción y de enfermedad. A través del análisis de trayectorias de adhesión y conversión religiosa de familias negras que buscaban alivio para su sufrimiento, se pretendió comprender de qué forma la experiencia religiosa interfiere en el modo de llevar la vida e de enfrentar las situaciones adversas. El trabajo integra una investigación más amplia de carácter etnográfico, realizada en un barrio popular de Salvador, Bahia, Brasil. A partir de la realización de entrevistas semi-estructuradas y de la inmersión en campo, se evidenció que los sujetos investigados recurrían a varias religiones en la búsqueda por disminuir el sufrimiento, produciendo trayectorias singulares que reflejan la diversidad de creencias y alternativas de cura ofrecidas por las instituciones religiosas en la contemporaneidad.

Relationship between Religious Conversion Experience and Narcissistic Personality Trend / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: Although there have been many studies in the academic fields outside theology about religious conversion experience, only a few objective methodological research efforts have been possible because of difficulties in scientific approach due to the subjective's individual and diverse characteristics. Recently, research from a psychological and psychiatric point of view has begun. There are many different viewpoints toward religious conversion: from a psychoanalytic perspective, regarding it as a projection of the father figure; to negative attitudes such as sexual repression, exhibitionism, neurosis, psychosis, dissociation, organic brain disease, aphasia and compensation for deprivation; and also to positive viewpoints that there is no psychopathology, that the experience of religious conversion exert an adaptive effect, and that it is a phenomenon which happens to persons who have a well-integrated personality. From the viewpoint of psychoanalytic self-psychology, religious conversion is self-object seeking behavior in people who have a narcissistic personality trend. In this study we tried to demonstrate the association between religious conversion and narcissistic personality trend. Particularly, we attempted to show the hypothesis that the crisis conversion group has a higher association with the narcissistic personality trend. METHOD: We divided the subjects into 3 groups (crisis conversion group, progressive conversion group, non-conversion group) and analyzed the differences in the scales of narcissistic personality according to the diagnostic criteria (diagnostic criteria for narcissistic personality disorder based on prototypicality rating and narcissistic personality inventory). RESULT: The results showed that the crisis conversion group had a significantly higher value than the other 2 groups for narcissistic personality inventory and factor II (Leadership/Authority) and factor III (Superiority/Arrogance), showing that the crisis conversion group had a higher narcissistic personality trend. CONCLUSION: The crisis conversion group has more narcissistic personality trend than other 2 groups and the narcissistic personality trend which was found in the crisis conversion group may have a more adaptive and functioning dimension in contrast to a pathological and maladaptive one.