Al-Albab
Vol 15, No 1 (2026)

The Recursive Symbiosis of Spiritual Experience and Local Wisdom: A Phenomenological Inquiry into the Post-Reservoir Construction Cipeundeuy Community

Engkos Koswara (UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung)
Moh Anif Arifani (UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung)
Ismail Lamdoh (Ma’had Daarul Falah Pattani)



Article Info

Publish Date
29 Jun 2026

Abstract

The construction of the Cirata Reservoir fundamentally restructured the geographic and socio-economic profile of the Cipeundeuy community, forcing a rapid transition from a terrestrial agrarian society to an aquatic-centered ecosystem. This study investigates the resulting tension and synergy between individual spiritual experiences and collective local wisdom within this transitional landscape. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach grounded in field data, the research applies a theoretical synthesis of Symbolic Interactionism and Bourdieu’s concept of Habitus to analyze cultural adaptation. Results indicate a significant “institutionalization of the ineffable,” where the majority of respondents reported new transcendental states only after joining local Majlis Taklim (religious assembly), positioning these assemblies as “spiritual incubators” that provide a new semiotic framework for mystical encounters. Simultaneously, the data reveals a state of “normative fragmentation” regarding ancestral taboos (pamali), reflecting a habitus in flux as it encounters modern structural demands. The discussion posits that the community exhibits “Prismatic Resilience,” characterized by a recursive symbiosis: spiritual experiences provide the internal vitality to sustain cultural traditions, while local wisdom offers the necessary grammar to articulate these experiences. Ultimately, the survival of Cipeundeuy’s identity amidst displacement is contingent upon the mutual preservation of subjective mystical encounters and ancestral symbolic frameworks.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

alalbab

Publisher

Subject

Social Sciences

Description

Al-Albab ISSN 0216-6143 (print) and ISSN: 2502-8340 (online) is an interdisciplinary journal published twice a year in print and online (e-journal) by the Pontianak State Institute of Islamic Studies, Pontianak. The journal was offline and started to be online in 2012. The e-ISSN was issued in 2016. ...