Discussing the supernatural in contemporary Finland – Discourses, genres, and forums
Koski Kaarina
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2021042714072
Tiivistelmä
The supernatural is a debated issue
on the Internet even though people generally avoid face-to-face discussion
about it. This article1 gives an analytical overview of discussions about the
supernatural in contemporary Finland. The research material consists of a
sample of Finnish media and online discussions about the supernatural, as well
as letters describing and interpreting personal experiences. Texts published on
different forums show different generic features of style, content, and the
traditionality of expression and interpretations. The texts can be entertaining
or argue about moral and ontological issues, about the emergence of these
experiences in human mind, or the status and sanity of people who have had
these experiences. Opinions and interpretations on all forums draw on various
discourses, of which five are presented. The science-oriented and mental
discourses seek for natural explanations. The spiritual reality is accounted
for, albeit in different forms, in the popular Christian, fundamental
Christian, and alternative spiritual discourses. The discourses can be combined
in various ways. The experiencers themselves primarily seek legitimate
interpretations and sometimes they modify or stretch the collectively accepted
scientific or Christian worldview to fit their experiences. However, sometimes
the experiences lead to a change of the worldview. The sciences are also criticised
for their narrow attitude.
Kokoelmat
- Rinnakkaistallenteet [19207]