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The Phenomenology of ‘Solved’ Reincarnation Stories Among Druze in Israel: Private Self, Symbolic Type and Daily Life

  • Cultural Case Study
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Abstract

This article examines the self-concept of the person who experienced Notq -the Druze phenomenon of remembering and talking about previous life. We focus on ‘solved’ stories- ones in which the person identifies his/her previous incarnation. The central question of this study is: What is the phenomenological experience of a person who has had Notq? In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-three Israeli Druze adults. The findings expose the Notq’s experience and its manifestations throughout ‘Notq’s life career’. The findings also show that Notq provides psychological resources which create a symbolic type who represents the central ethos of the Druze. In the discussion we argue that Notq can be perceived as a cultural idiom providing unique psychological and cultural resources. This study contributes to the research of psychology and culture by examining the Druze belief in reincarnation, the interpretation of cultural idioms and cautions against treating them as idioms of distress.

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Notes

  1. Nateq: the person who had Notq. Nateq- masculine; Nateqa- feminine. We use these terms interchangeably in reference to a person who has experienced Notq. Notq is part of the Druze discourse and may be considered a cultural idiom.

  2. The Druze community in Israel is small and to ensure the privacy and anonymity of the participants pseudonym initials have been used.

  3. Link for the program (in Hebrew) https://www.facebook.com/300889989946881/videos/1711146225587910/?redirect=false.

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Funding

This study was independently conducted.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Special Education, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

    Maha Natoor & Avihu Shoshana

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  1. Maha Natoor
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  2. Avihu Shoshana
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Correspondence to Maha Natoor.

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Natoor, M., Shoshana, A. The Phenomenology of ‘Solved’ Reincarnation Stories Among Druze in Israel: Private Self, Symbolic Type and Daily Life. Cult Med Psychiatry 46, 194–211 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11013-021-09711-y

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