Aportes desde la teoría social para comprender la búsqueda de alternativas espirituales en una era secular.

This article reflects on the motivations of three individuals who, in adulthood, have chosen to adhere to Zen Buddhism, Vaishnavism and Islam; namely, religious groups that are very much in the minority in their home country, Colombia. The methodology used was qualitative, involving an analysis of life stories and semi-structured interviews. The results show that the individuals express dissatisfaction with their lives, as well as a series of criticisms regarding the socio-cultural environment in which they live. Minority religions represent for them an alternative way of living and thinking that they consider more appropriate and satisfying. It is concluded that the individuals are in search of transcendent meaning, not due to a "deficit" or "void", as it is often thought, but rather a state of disorientation generated by processes characteristic of late modernity, such as religious deinstitutionalization, individualization and pluralism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]