Uberwelt refer to religious or spiritual beliefs about the ideal world, the way an individual wants the world to be.
Uberwelt was a concept introduced by Deurzen-Smith (1988) to ac
knowledge the spiritual aspect of being. Until the 1980's, existentialism mainly emphasized the three (3) dimensions that Binswanger had outlines Umwelt, Mitwelt and Eigenwelt, then Deurzen-Smith introduced this said concept.
Uberwelt literally translated as "over world", the concept of Uberwelt underscores that the universe is larger than humanity. It also encompasses the individual's personal view and ideal. In this dimension of human existence, humans organize their overall views of the world, physical, social and personal, and generate or are inserted into an overall philosophy of life. One person's Uberwelt is influenced by religion as it is practiced in his/her family and may be limited by what is acceptable in his/her society. However, the Uberwelt can transcend social/cultural structures such as religion and, like other dimensions, is dynamic in that it can be open and flexible to new information and ways of being, if the individual so chooses or depending on the choices made by the individual. |
Glossary / Lexicon