A sociologist on Ukrainians' trust in esotericism

An interview with the Director of the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Doctor of Sociological Sciences, Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine, Professor Yevhen Golovakha has been broadcast by one of Ukraine's most authoritative media outlets — Hromadske Radio.

Commenting on the findings of a study by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology which showed that 35% of Ukrainians believe in astrology, 25% in extrasensory abilities and 15% in tarot, while 43% of the population trust at least one variety of esotericism, the sociologist noted that such figures may be connected with the conditions of war, when people need support and certainty.

Recalling the fairly old data of the annual monitoring survey of the Institute of Sociology of the NAS of Ukraine, the professor stressed: “And at that time the range of those who believed in astrology and every kind of esotericism was 15–17%.” As to the causes of this phenomenon in the present context, the scholar suggested that war can change people's attitudes towards everything connected with matters that go beyond the rational. People become greater fatalists and believe more in fate. For if you are guided only by rational grounds, it is quite hard emotionally. Things such as belief in the irrational can offer support; a person may believe that a happy fate awaits them, foretold by cards or something similar. This is a psychological rather than a cultural phenomenon. Moreover, any nation's trust in esotericism may grow if it finds itself in the circumstances Ukraine is in today, Golovakha explained.

The sociologist also noted that various astrologers, psychics and tarot readers have gained far wider access to an audience thanks to social networks and online platforms. In addition, the growth of trust is largely connected with advertising. When you are constantly pressed with the view that you can very easily learn about events in advance, that too can affect attitudes towards it.

This commentary by the head of Ukraine's academic sociology on the pressing subject of Ukrainians' mass attitudes helps to bring a rational basis to the explanation of irrational phenomena and fosters the promotion of scholarly knowledge amid war and the mass stress affecting our compatriots' psychological states.

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