Tacit Conversion

Abstract

This chapter introduces the concept of tacit conversion as an analytical framework for conceptualising the process of personal transformation and increased commitment to Goenka’s Vipassana movement. This chapter is based on a detailed examination of an old student’s language and his performance of the role of a Vipassana meditator. By paying attention to the content of speech, as well as other modalities of communication, including the inflections, tonalities, and the delivery of the narrative, the chapter illustrates that committed old students essentially perform a narrative that in many ways resemble what have been categorised as ‘conversion narratives’ in other traditions. This chapter also outlines several themes that are central to the participants’ experience of self-transformation such as self-acceptance, agency, and the mind-body relationship.