Abstract
In this article based on ongoing research, I discuss the difficulty of separating my personal experience from my research into 'Experiment with Light'. I argue by reference to the work of Labaree, Pillow and Boff that the inherent complexities of researching a process which itself seeks 'Truth' requires the researcher to be reflexive to the point of discomfort. I show how the dilemmas Labaree identifies in insider research signal Pillow's uncomfortable reflexivity and move her analysis beyond the context of race and gender to the religious context, where it serves a different purpose. I conclude by reference to Boff's theory that in the field of this type of religious ethnography insider is preferable to outsider research and suggest areas for further enquiry.
Keywords
Quakers, Experiment with Light, insider, reflexivity, research methodology, mystical experience
How to Cite
Meads, H., (2015) “Insider Research into 'Experiment with Light': Uncomfortable Reflexivity in a Different Field”, Quaker Studies 11(2).
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