---
_id: '60035'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: <jats:p>In this autoethnographic quadrologue, the authors aim to show how
    meditation experiences defy verbalization in a qualitative research setting. This
    leads to the insight that an autoethnographic approach may be a much better fit
    for such an experience, where complex and inexpressible things can be found. This
    is especially the case since autoethnographic texts include and immerse the reader
    in the experience. Even though in the case of meditation this can hardly be achieved,
    this quadrologue aims at conveying some of the struggles and peculiarities of
    meditation practice. It focuses on the research process leading to the decision
    to employ an autoethnography paradigm. Thus, the focus of this article is the
    differentiation of autoethnography from other methodological approaches and the
    conscious decision in favour of this method, which is rather unusual in German-speaking
    countries. The authors develop the thesis that both the meditation experience
    and the decision to employ an autoethnographic paradigm led to the experience
    of “wandering off the beaten track” and crossing the boundaries of what is usually
    done in society and social science respectively.</jats:p>
author:
- first_name: Anna-Katharina
  full_name: Kothe, Anna-Katharina
  last_name: Kothe
- first_name: Stefanie
  full_name: Vochatzer, Stefanie
  id: '95153'
  last_name: Vochatzer
- first_name: Christian
  full_name: Oesterle, Christian
  last_name: Oesterle
- first_name: Steffen Philipp
  full_name: Ruf, Steffen Philipp
  last_name: Ruf
citation:
  ama: 'Kothe A-K, Vochatzer S, Oesterle C, Ruf SP. Crossing Boundaries: Autoethnography
    of Subjective Experiences During Meditation. <i>The Qualitative Report</i>. Published
    online 2023. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2023.5510">10.46743/2160-3715/2023.5510</a>'
  apa: 'Kothe, A.-K., Vochatzer, S., Oesterle, C., &#38; Ruf, S. P. (2023). Crossing
    Boundaries: Autoethnography of Subjective Experiences During Meditation. <i>The
    Qualitative Report</i>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2023.5510">https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2023.5510</a>'
  bibtex: '@article{Kothe_Vochatzer_Oesterle_Ruf_2023, title={Crossing Boundaries:
    Autoethnography of Subjective Experiences During Meditation}, DOI={<a href="https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2023.5510">10.46743/2160-3715/2023.5510</a>},
    journal={The Qualitative Report}, publisher={Nova Southeastern University}, author={Kothe,
    Anna-Katharina and Vochatzer, Stefanie and Oesterle, Christian and Ruf, Steffen
    Philipp}, year={2023} }'
  chicago: 'Kothe, Anna-Katharina, Stefanie Vochatzer, Christian Oesterle, and Steffen
    Philipp Ruf. “Crossing Boundaries: Autoethnography of Subjective Experiences During
    Meditation.” <i>The Qualitative Report</i>, 2023. <a href="https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2023.5510">https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2023.5510</a>.'
  ieee: 'A.-K. Kothe, S. Vochatzer, C. Oesterle, and S. P. Ruf, “Crossing Boundaries:
    Autoethnography of Subjective Experiences During Meditation,” <i>The Qualitative
    Report</i>, 2023, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2023.5510">10.46743/2160-3715/2023.5510</a>.'
  mla: 'Kothe, Anna-Katharina, et al. “Crossing Boundaries: Autoethnography of Subjective
    Experiences During Meditation.” <i>The Qualitative Report</i>, Nova Southeastern
    University, 2023, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2023.5510">10.46743/2160-3715/2023.5510</a>.'
  short: A.-K. Kothe, S. Vochatzer, C. Oesterle, S.P. Ruf, The Qualitative Report
    (2023).
date_created: 2025-05-25T12:44:13Z
date_updated: 2026-02-03T10:43:27Z
doi: 10.46743/2160-3715/2023.5510
language:
- iso: eng
publication: The Qualitative Report
publication_identifier:
  issn:
  - 2160-3715
publication_status: published
publisher: Nova Southeastern University
status: public
title: 'Crossing Boundaries: Autoethnography of Subjective Experiences During Meditation'
type: journal_article
user_id: '95153'
year: '2023'
...