A Sociological Look at the Growth of the Emerging Spirituality in Tabriz

The conversion of a large number of people to the emerging spiritual sect (hereafter mentioned as “the M sect” in the current study) indicates a socio-cultural trend and the current study attempts to identify its causes and effective factors. Qualitative methodology in the form of Grounded Theory has been applied. Data were collected through distributing a semi-structured questionnaire in an in-depth interview from fourteen participants. Findings constitute a two-step paradigm model where the dimensions and major elements include: A) preliminary conditions: stresses of religious life in the modern age, lack of acceptability in the traditional religious culture, emotional detachment; B) causal conditions: spiritual needs, epistemic crisis, physical or mental illnesses; C1) The central phenomenon and context: the feeling of distress with regard to intensity, continuity, and diversity; D1) Strategy: reference to traditional religious texts, medical treatment, psychotherapy, counseling, exercise; E1) intervening conditions: lack of acceptability in the religious culture; F1) inefficient or partially efficient of strategy and continuity of the feeling of distress; C2) the feeling of distress with desperation; D2) choosing the spiritual method proposed by M; E2) value system, religious socialization and lack of congruence with the religious culture, the congruence of the sect with the general culture, having fresh viewpoints and the acceptability of explanations provided by the sect, objective reports on the effectiveness of the practices in the sect, open membership, and the quality and quantity of the network of relations with members in the sect; F2) Conversion that has instrumental and ultimate interpretations.