New Age Spirituality, Secular Paradox, and Neoliberalism

What is it about?

Family Constellation Therapy (FCT) is gaining popularity as part of New Age practices in Turkey. FCT was founded by German psychologist Bert Hellinger, who based it on Zulu healing rituals that connect with the lord dead ancestors of family members. Hellinger adapted these practices into Western therapeutic group settings. People seek FCT to address financial, romantic, or professional issues. Facilitators help them resolve deep-seated traumas by reordering ancestral issues, with participants embodying ancestors or abstract concepts like money and love.FCT blends indigenous practices with New Age spirituality, emphasizing individual well-being in a way that aligns with the self-focus of neoliberalism. This article explores FCT in Turkey through participant observation, examining its role amidst the country's tensions between secularism and religion. It seeks to understand why people from secular, modern backgrounds engage in these metaphysical practices, despite normally viewing them as superstitious or backward. It also looks at the influence of neoliberal ideology. The article concludes that Turkish participants maintain their secular ideology by distancing themselves from Islam and marginalizing similar metaphysical practices like fortune-telling and Khojas. At the same time, FCT becomes a form of neoliberal religiosity by emphasizing self-focus even in group settings.

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