Making the Unseen Seen
This is an ambitious and timely initiative which seeks to explore the diversity and depth of religious and spiritual life in the UK today.
In a climate where meaning, identity, and belonging are increasingly complex issues – particularly for young people – this work promises to offer both clarity and inspiration.
The Project aims to make a meaningful contribution to education and to public discourse, fostering empathy, reflection, and cross-cultural understanding at a time when such qualities are urgently needed.
Through a compelling combination of photographic storytelling, first-person testimony and academic research, the project will bring to light the lived experiences of individuals across a wide range of faiths and spiritual paths.
The Project
We tell real stories of spiritual experience—and create a book and website to enable deep and respectful reflection on them.
Our work lives at the intersection of education, faith, art, and lived experience.
Over the next 18 months, Contemporary Religious & Spiritual Experience: An Illustrated Guide will document powerful personal accounts of spiritual transformation across Britain. These range from near-death experiences and awakenings to visions and moments of deep connection, both within and beyond organised religion.
Through photography, testimony, and reflective commentary, we aim to bring these hidden stories into public view and educational spaces, sparking inclusive dialogue around meaning, identity, and belief.
Dr Marianne Rankin brings to this work decades of scholarly insight into Spiritual Experience and interfaith involvement.
‘I have studied religious and spiritual experience for many decades, working with the Alister Hardy Trust, speaking in schools and to spiritual groups and publishing An Introduction to Religious and Spiritual Experience (Bloomsbury/Continuum, 2008). This book, which explores how such experiences manifest across different faith traditions and secular contexts is widely used in schools and universities.
In 2022 I was awarded a PhD focusing on the Fruits of Spiritual Experience – a study of the long-term personal and societal impact of mystical and transformative encounters. My work provides the academic foundation for the project, grounding personal testimonies within a wider philosophical and theological context.’
Eleanor Rankin Dailey has photographed over 50 countries and has a special interest in religious architecture and human spirituality.
Together, they form a powerful team with the vision and expertise to produce a lasting and influential body of work.
The Project will result in:
A website where visitors can explore stories through images and sound - featuring powerful portraits, interview audio, and interactive thematic navigation - accessible to the public and educators.
An online downloadable publication featuring fine art photography and narrative.
Outreach
We are currently seeking support for this work.
Initially we are hoping to contact representatives of the major religious traditions, to request permission to photograph ceremonies and festivals, which, combined with the explanatory text, will form the basis of the various strands of the project.
We are also recording spiritual gatherings with a more open view of the spiritual.
Sponsorship
If you are able to support the project financially, you can find details and explore our sponsorship options here:
🔗https://www.crse.uk/sponsorship
Each level offers meaningful ways to be part of the project’s impact – from helping us to reach schools, to supporting the exhibition, to co-creating long-term digital resources.
THANK YOU
Dr Marianne Rankin
Author, Speaker, Researcher in Spiritual Experience
Dr Marianne Rankin is a leading voice in the study of religious and spiritual experience. She is the author of An Introduction to Religious and Spiritual Experience 2008 (Continuum/Bloomsbury), a widely respected text used by students, teachers, and researchers across the UK and beyond. Her PhD explored the long-term personal, moral, and psychological impact of spiritual experience as transformation, particularly how such experiences shape identity, values, and worldview.
For over a decade, Dr Rankin served as Director of Communications for the Alister Hardy Trust, where she worked closely with educators, interfaith communities, and researchers to advance the understanding of personal spiritual experience across traditions. She regularly speaks on the intersection of science, faith, and human consciousness.
Marianne brings academic rigour and pastoral sensitivity to the project, ensuring that each story is treated with respect, care, and contextual understanding.
Eleanor Dailey
Documentary Photographer, Educator, Artist
Eleanor Dailey is a documentary photographer with over 25 years of experience in more than 50 countries. Her work spans portraiture, social justice, education, and spirituality—always driven by a desire to reveal truth and tenderness through the lens.
Eleanor has lived and worked extensively in the Middle East, where she developed a deep appreciation for the spiritual and cultural depth of Islamic traditions. She was born and raised in Singapore so her formative years were immersed in diverse cultures and religious traditions across Asia.
In Contemporary Religious & Spiritual Experience, Eleanor brings artistic vision, technical expertise, and a deep commitment to spiritual literacy through lived stories and powerful images.
Contact Us
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