What is spiritual in poetry as therapy and art practice? A sensory-sociological perspective

This article shows how the multisensoriality of poetry therapy is closely linked to the idea of soul by attending to sensory sociology and phenomenology. Although scholars emphasize poetry as a healing practice that transcends culture and language through the creation of symbols and metaphors, scant attention was paid to the sensory and cultural contexts that considered the practice as a craft. I highlight this gap by focusing on the method per se, arguing that poetry is not solely a cognitive, abstract practice but is also a haptic, muscular, and sensory method. It is this hapticity which is closely linked to soul, can facilitate healing, re-animate the body, and promote the reintegration of body and mind. The article illuminates poetry therapy’s even broader relevance for both individual healing and collective transformation. I will show that the spiritual dimension in poetry therapy also operates as a political emancipatory tool.