Spirituality is a broad concept that encompasses belief in something beyond oneself. It may involve religious traditions centered on belief in a higher power, but it can also be a holistic belief in an individual connection to others and to the world at large. How we express our spirituality is determined by our personal, family and cultural experiences. Some people express their spirituality in a religious way, which usually includes language, beliefs, and religious symbols.
People maintain their religion through individual practices and participation in the rituals of their faith community. Religious people often turn to their faith and religious community for comfort and strength in difficult times. While value judgments should play no role in the distinction between spirituality and religion, there are those who may see one as preferable to the other. For this site, no preference is given to either one, hence the use of both terms together. The general consensus considers spirituality to be the broadest term, encompassing religion for some, but capable of being independent for others without attachment to a particular faith group. It is important to remember that for the patient, these are not static entities, but can change with the dynamics that take place in life and the patient's health and mental health status.
Looking beyond the individual to the family, community and support networks, the concept of spirituality as defined by Kaiser (2000) can be applied to “aid systems”. For example, Wolff (200) states that the current model of clinical service delivery is deliberately disconnected from social justice issues and calls for greater confidence in “spiritual principles” such as acceptance, appreciation, compassion and interdependence. Most studies conducted to date on spirituality and religion have focused on patients who adopt Judeo-Christian traditions. More research needs to focus on patients from other religious traditions and on the intersection of these beliefs and practices within a sociocultural context. In short, the impact of spirituality on SWB can be considered invariant regardless of the individual's religious status. You can identify yourself as any combination of the religious and the spiritual, but being religious doesn't automatically make you spiritual, or vice versa.
Multiple and different indicators of religiosity and spirituality have been associated with SWB, which explains, at least in part, the mixed evidence (Mon and Bond, 201). Such a basic distinction may not be useful in understanding how religion and spirituality differ in their associations with the dimensions of HYSSOP. The distinctive role of religiosity and spirituality in SWB has been proven through two models of separate ways analysis. People can describe a spiritual experience as sacred or transcendent, or simply as a deep sense of vivacity and interconnectedness. Some philosophers (e.g., Bertrand Russell, Jean-Paul Sartre), who clearly value the non-material, communal and virtuous aspects of life, reject this use of the term spirituality as being too broad (i.e., too inclusive). Like other reflective practices, mindfulness can be a tool to discover how spirituality manifests itself in your life. Some may find that their spiritual life is intimately linked to their association with a church, temple, mosque or synagogue.
They can be seen as invitations to open up to the resources and depths of your spirit, to the support and love of others who also struggle to live meaningfully, and to the wider spiritual realm that is beyond you. Spirituality encompasses a consciousness-based vision of the world that supports all human beings on their path to awakening in unconditional love and kindness. In addition, religious and spiritual participation can benefit people's lives by empowering both internally (e.g., self-esteem) and externally (e.g., social support). It focuses on the lived experience of spirituality over historical dogmatic affirmations, and accepts that faith is both true and a human construction, and that spiritual experiences are psychologically and neurally real and useful. With spiritual practice, ideas and interpretations change as individuals, societies, and the world move forward. Contemporary proponents of spirituality may suggest that spirituality develops inner peace and forms a basis for happiness.
