Dr Jens Augspurger

Jens’ research sits at the intersections of belief, power, and politics, with a particular focus on Modern Transnational Yoga and contemporary spiritual communities. More specifically, his research explores how claims of authenticity, therapeutic effect, and purpose are negotiated and constructed within these contexts.

In 2026, Jens was awarded a PhD by SOAS University of London for his research on Modern Transnational Yoga. Drawing on empirical data and poststructuralist analysis, his dissertation explores three discursive dimensions: healing via health claims, aspiration via success claims, and transformation through narratives of touristic spirituality. He argues that these discourses underpin a neoliberal conception of the self, follow colonial and Orientalist trajectories, and significantly shape the contemporary vernacular meaning of the term ‘yoga’.

His current research focuses on the question of abuse in spiritual communities, specifically the discourses that emerge in the aftermath of abuse allegations and the ways in which communities respond to them.

http://jens-augspurger.co.uk/public-scholarship/