Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

Spirituality
“We are not human beings having a
spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings
having a human experience.”
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

• “Spirituality is that which gives meaning to one's life

and draws one to transcend oneself.

• Spirituality is a broader concept than religion,

although that is one expression of spirituality.

• Other expressions include prayer, meditation,

interactions with others or nature, and relationship
with God or a higher power.”
 Spirituality defined
Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

• Spirituality refers to a belief in a higher power, an

awareness of life and its meaning, the centering of a
person with purpose in life.

• It involves relationships with a higher being, with self,

and with the world around the individual.

• Spirituality implies living with moral standards.

 Spirituality
Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

• The innate and continual process of finding meaning and purpose

in life, while accepting and transcending one’s place in the
complex and interrelated universe
• Shared connection or community with others, nature, the
universe, and a higher power.
• The development of values and a personal belief system.
• Worldview that gives unity and goals to thoughts and actions, as
well as the process of seeking meaning, purpose in existence, and
understanding of one’s place in the universe.
• The appreciation of the depth and vastness of life and of the
universe along with the acceptance and recognition of the
transcendence of the unknown.
• Inner and relational harmony with others and the universe, as
well as the search for a universal value system
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

• Spirituality is recognized as a factor that contributes

to health in many persons.

• It is expressed in an individual’s search for ultimate

meaning through participation in religion and/or
belief in God, family, naturalism, rationalism,
humanism and the arts. MSOP Report III:
Association of American Medical Colleges, 1999.
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

Spirituality
(Judy Howden)

• Purpose and Meaning in Life

• Innerness or inner resources
• Unifying Interconnectedness
• Transcendence
 Spiritual Needs
Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

• According to Fish and Shelly (1978) there are three

spiritual needs underlying all religious traditions
and common to all people:

1. Need for meaning and purpose

2. Need for love and relatedness
3. Need for forgiveness
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

MSOP Report III regarding Spirituality

• Spirituality is recognized as a factor that contributes to health in

many persons. The concept of spirituality is found in all
cultures and societies. It is expressed in an individual’s search
for ultimate meaning through participation in religion and / or
belief in God, family, naturalism, rationalism, humanism and
the arts. All these factors can influence how patients and health
care professionals perceive health and illness and how they
interact with one another.
» MSOP Report III, Association of American Medical
Colleges, 1999 (Medical school objectives project)
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

Religion
• Religion is an organized and public belief system of
worship and practices that generally has a focus on a
god or supernatural power. It generally offers an
arrangement of symbols and rituals that are
meaningful and understood by it’s followers.

“Religion is primarily a set of beliefs, a collection of

prayers, or rituals. Religion is first and foremost a
way of seeing. It can’t change the facts about the
world we live in, but it can change the ways we see
those facts, and that in itself can often make a
difference.” (Harold Kushner)
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

Major World Religions

– Hinduism
– Islam
– Christianity
– Judaism
– Buddhism
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

• Spirituality fulfills specific needs

– Meaning to life, illness, crises, and death
– Sense of security for present and future
– Guides daily habits
– Elicits acceptance or rejection of other people
– Provides psychosocial support in a group of like-minded
people
– Strength when facing life’s crises
– Healing strength and support
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

Spiritual Care

Practice of compassionate presence

• Listening to patient’s fears, hopes, pain, dreams
• Obtaining a spiritual history
• Attentiveness to all dimensions of the patient and
patient’s family: body, mind and spirit
• Incorporation of spiritual practices as appropriate
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

Spirituality and wellness

 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

Temperament and Character Inventory

• TCI designed by Robert Cloninger.
• Researcher on genetics of addiction.

• Self-transcendence trait made up of:

1) Self-forgetfulness: To get entirely lost in an experience.
2) Transpersonal: Connectedness to the larger universe.
3) Mysticism: Openness to things not literally provable.
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

Spirituality and religion

• Spirituality is found in all human cultures.

• Expressed differently in religious faiths.
• Common mechanism for transcendence.
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

Deep Meditation

• Powerful feelings begin to emerge.

• Time and space disappear.
• Feeling of peace.
• Lose world around you.
• Spiritual experience
• Centering prayer.
• Quiet, reflective state.
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

What are the benefits?

• Spirituality has a biological expression.

• Benefits: Provides good stress reducer.
• Neuroscientist Michael Persinger:
– “God experience is a brilliant adaptation. It’s a built-in
pacifier.”
• Seek meaning in our lives.
• Hope there is a purpose to it all.
• Religion provides additional benefits.
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

Religion and Health

• Most medical schools now expose students to

spiritual issues.
• Viewpoints about the role of religion in
psychological and physical health.
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

Religion and well-being

• Benefits of participation in religious behavior.

• Not just beliefs.
• Those that attend services on regular basis report
greater well-being and better health.
• More than just social association.
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

1. Provides Social support

• Social support strong predictor of well-being.

• Community of like minded individuals.
• strongest bond with others like ourselves.
• Help others with problems in mind, body and
spirit.
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

2. Support Health Lifestyles

• Many religions urge moderation in use of alcohol

and drugs.
• Some prohibit use.
• Others promote family guidelines.
• Discourage other risky behavior.
• Natural helpers: Referral sources.
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

3. Personality Integration

• Deeper commitment helps people focus on goals

and strivings.
• Life-long path of discovery.
• Meditation and prayer help us integrate our
personalities.
• Who we are and what we are about.
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

4. Increase Generativity

• Erik Erickson’s Developmental Stages

• Stage Seven – later adulthood, marked by
generativity versus stagnation
• In this stage generativity refers to the adult's
ability to care for another person.
• Not just your own children but the next
generation(s).
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

5. Unique Coping Strategies

• Providing hope, optimism.

• Relief from stressors.
• Place lives in a greater perspective.
• Positive forms: Working with higher power to get
through difficulty.
• Negative forms (guilt and blaming) offer no relief.
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

6. Sense of Purpose

• Life has meaning and purpose.

• Religion provides framework for life’s journey.
• Traditions and rites of passage.
• Add meaning to events.
• Good times and bad.
• Sense of control
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

Not alone on our journey

• Prayer: “You are close to us as breathing and

further than the farthest most star.”
• Provides moral code of conduct.
• Most religions have a version of “do unto others
as you would have them to unto you.”
• Foster a sense of self-worth, shared meaning
from the community.
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

Spirituality takes many forms.

• Have to be engaged.
• Not just beliefs, but also actions.
• Benefits come from active participation.
• Generativity: Care for the next generation.
 Spiritual Needs
Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

Spirituality often becomes more important in times of

emotional stress, physical and mental illness,
loss, bereavement and the approach of death.

However, questions about life and its meaning are very

complex.

Think about how you feel you fit into the world and
your personal values - it may be useful for your mental
health recovery. It may help you figure out your
feelings, beliefs and attitude towards spirituality.
 Spiritual needs Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

Consider the following questions:

•What are your sources of hope, strength, comfort and

peace?
•What keeps you going during difficult times?
•What do you want your life to be about?
•What role do your beliefs play in constructing meaning in
your life?
•What aspects of your spirituality or spiritual practices do
you find most helpful to you personally? (e.g. prayer,
meditation, reading scripture, attending religious services,
listening to music, hiking, communing with nature)
 Activity: Begin with the End in Mind
Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

By knowing where you want to

go, you can take the right action
to live your live with meaning.

Doing this will help you add

more purpose to your everyday
activities and how you live your
life.

(Adapted from: The 7 Habits of Highly

Effective People, by S Covey)
 Activity: Begin with the End in Mind
Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

Imagine your future, X years from now. You are at an event that is celebrating
you.

There are three speakers at this event:

The first speaker is from your family or friends, someone who can give a sense
of who you are as a person.

The second speaker is someone who has seen you come through your
difficulties and challenges.

The third speaker is someone you have made a difference to their life for the
better.

Think deeply. What would you like each of these speakers to say about you and
your life? What would you like their words to reflect? What character would
like them to have seen in you? What contributions, achievements would you
like them to remember?
 Activity: Begin with the End in Mind
Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

First Speaker:

Second Speaker:

Third Speaker:
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

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