Mystical consumption and the quest for control: how consumers navigate uncertainty through occulture

Abstract

This study examines mystical consumption as a phenomenon through which consumers engage with mystical symbols, rituals, and practices to navigate uncertainty and construct a sense of control in their everyday lives. Drawing on qualitative data from walking interviews, netnography, and in-depth interviews, this research develops a conceptual framework that illustrates how mystical consumption functions as a structured coping mechanism, offering intrapersonal harmony, metaphysical refuge, psychological decompression, and communal integration. At the core of mystical consumption is the paradox of control and uncertainty, where consumers use mystical engagement to impose perceived order on unpredictable circumstances, yet often risk dependency and cognitive confusion. The findings contribute to consumer research by demonstrating how mystical engagement provides a narrative through which consumers exert agency over uncertainty in contemporary society.

Cite this work

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 5 citations exist upstream.

Papers that cite the same references — the relational fallback while embeddings are still backfilling.