Neopaganism in art and social processes of modern society

Abstract

In modern culture and art one can find many signs of ancient beliefs and mythological concepts. The authors reveal these phenomena and study their role in modern spirituality and their mental and psychological influence. The article is aimed at uncovering the causes and consequences of the archaic world awareness and ancient pagan beliefs renewal in modern art. The authors analyse the phenomena of neopaganism in art and reveal two aspects. The first aspect is the ancient ideological concept associated with people‟s deep spiritual sources and forms of beliefs. This phenomenon is associated with the collective memory and ethno-psychological characteristics of every nation. The second aspect is the use of belief in ancient myths and practices in order to manipulate people for social and commercial purposes. The research results show that the experience of reclaiming the natural and social environment of the ancient man has been accumulated for thousands of years in myths and legends. Modern people, due to the internal and external reasons, address this experience when trying to solve their problems with the help of neopagan practices or the formation of quasi-religious movements.