July 2024

SPIRITUALITY
presented by: Badilla, Marcial, Tariga
 TOPIC
OUTLINE
The Cycle of Discovery, Conservation, and
01 Defining Spirituality 04 Rediscovery of the Sacred over the Life Span

02 The Discovery of the Sacred 05 Conclusions and Implications

03 The Conservation of the Sacred

01
spirituality is personal, subjective, and life-enhancing.
DEFINING
SPIRITUALITY religion is institutional, dogmatic, and restrictive.
01

Spirituality represents the key and

unique function of religion.
religion in its classic sense as a
broad individual and institutional DEFINED AS “A SEARCH FOR THE
domain that serves a variety of SACRED”
purposes, secular as well as
sacred.
There are two key terms in this
definition:
search and sacred
01
SEARCH INDICATES THAT SPIRITUALITY IS A PROCESS, ONE THAT
INVOLVES EFFORTS TO DISCOVER THE SACRED AND ONE THAT
INVOLVES EFFORTS TO HOLD ONTO THE SACRED ONCE IT HAS BEEN
FOUND.

• SPIRITUAL PATHWays include social involvements that range from traditional religious institutions to non-
traditional spiritual groups, programs, and associations
• Pathways involve systems of belief that include those of traditional organized religions (e.g., Protestant,
Roman Catholic, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim),
• newer spirituality movements (e.g., feminist, goddess, ecological spiritualities)
• Pathways are also made up of traditional religious practices

IN THE OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY, THE WORD sacred is defined as the holy, those things
“set apart” from the ordinary and worthy of veneration and respect.

SACRED OBJECTS INCLUDE TIME AND SPACE; EVENTS AND TRANSITIONS; MATERIALS;
CULTURAL PRODUCT; PEOPLE; PSYCHOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES; SOCIAL ATTRIBUTES; AND
ROLES
02

Discovering God
THE DISCOVERY OF
THE SACRED THE SEARCH FOR GOD BEGINS IN CHILDHOOD.
“HOW
YOUNG WE ARE WHEN WE START WONDERING
ABOUT
IT ALL,” ROBERT COLES (1990, P. 335) CONCLUDES
FROM HIS STUDY OF THE SPIRITUAL LIVES OF
CHILDREN.
02 SOCIAL SCIENTISTS HAVE OFFERED A VARIETY OF EXPLANATIONS FOR THE
PROPENSITY TO SEEK THE DIVINE.

• Some have suggested that there is an innate, genetic basis for spirituality
• Others have emphasized that conceptions of God are rooted in the child’s intrapsychic capacity to
symbolize, fantasize, and create superhuman beings
• Some have asserted that spirituality grows out of critical life events and challenges that reveal
human limitations
• And others have emphasized the importance of the social context (familial, institutional, cultural)
in shaping the child’s understanding of God
 02
• BOWLBY’S (1988) ATTACHMENT THEORY, SUGGESTS That the child’s mental models of God are likely to
correspond to the models of self and others that emerge out of repeated interactions with primary attachment
figures.

• PEOple may look to the divine as compensation for the loss, unavailability, or inadequacy of a primary attachment
figure.

• IN A NUMBER OF STUDIES, PSYCHOLOgists have found that individuals who perceive God to be a loving,
compassionate, and responsive figure also report higher levels of personal well-being

• ON THE OTHER HAND, PEOPLE WHO DEscribe God in more distant, harsh, fearful, or punitive terms indicate
higher levels of psychological distress
 02 DISCOVERING THE SACRED

• the sacred can be found on earth as well as in heaven

• sanctification refer to the perception of an object as having spiritual significance and
character
• through the process of sanctification, people are able to discover the sacred in many
spheres of life.
Mahoney et al. (1999) and Pargament (1999) point to three important implications of sanctification.
1. People are likely to preserve and protect sacred objects.
2. People are likely to invest more of themselves in the pursuit of things sacred.
3. People are likely to derive more meaning, strength, and satisfaction from sacred dimensions of their
lives.
03 • With God in Hell, Berkovits (1979) - human desire to hold on to the
sacred, even at terrible costs.
• Researchers find that levels of faith and religious beliefs and practices
are largely unchanged or even strengthened following traumatic
events.
THE CONSERVATION
OF SACRED POLOMA AND GALLUP (1991) DISTINGUISH BETWEEN FOUR
TYPES OF PRAYER:
• RITUAL (E.G., READ FROM A BOOK OF PRAYERS)
• PETITIONARY (E.G., ASK GOD FOR MATERIAL THINGS)
• CONVERSATION (E.G., ASK GOD TO FORGIVE YOUR SINS)
• MEDITATIVE (E.G., SPEND TIME JUST “BEING IN” THE
PRESENCE OF GOD) - WAS MORE STRONGLY RELATED TO
MEASURES OF PERSONAL WELL-BEING AND A SENSE OF
CLOSENESS TO GOD
03 THE CONSERVATION OF SACRED

• many people experience a sense of the divine only in extraordinary times and
circumstances, others routinely try to “practice the presence of God or the sacred.”

Underwood (1999) has developed a Daily Spiritual Experiences

• This 16-item instrument grew out of a recognition that many aspects of spirituality can be experienced regularly,
including a sense of awe, perceptions of God’s love, connectedness with the transcendent, feelings of inspiration,
and a sense of wholeness.
In addition to these day-to-day forms of spiritual involvement, people can draw on a number of spiritual coping
methods to help them conserve the sacred in times of stress.
⚬ Making boundaries
⚬ Spiritual purification
⚬ Spiritual reframing
03 • Institutionally- RELIGION defining clear rules about what makes
someone a member of a particular faith
• Wrapped in the distinctive beliefs, values, and practices of a particular
religious’ tradition, members are able to conserve a sacred way of life
in the face of competing and potentially threatening lifestyles.
MARKING
BOUNDARIES BENEFIT- COMPELLING WORLD VIEW, CLEAR PERSONAL
IDENTITY, AND SUPPORT AND APPROVAL OF THEIR
CORELIGIONISTS.
03 MAKING BOUNDARIES

• Individual- People can selectively filter, block, or distort material that threatens their
sacred beliefs, practices, and values.

• Brock and Balloun (1967), Pargament and DeRosa (1985) - presented recorded religious messages that varied in
their congruence with the religious beliefs of the listeners and then asked the listeners to recall the message. As
the messages became more discordant, the listeners were more likely to distort their memory of the message to fit
with their religious beliefs.

• Through institutional or psychological mechanisms, many people build barriers against spiritual dangers.
03 MAKING BOUNDARIES

• Negative consequence
⚬ Psychological boundaries - people may refuse to accept important new
information.
⚬ Social boundaries - people may treat those who lie outside those boundaries with
prejudice and aggression
• Hunsberger (1992) reported higher levels of prejudice toward many minority groups by religious fundamentalists.
• Particularly alarming were correlations between fundamentalism and a willingness to support the arrest, torture,
and execution of political “radicals”.
03 MAKING BOUNDARIES

• Hunsberger (1996) adds three cautions.

⚬ First, fundamentalism is not restricted to Christians; Hindu, Muslim, and Jewish
fundamentalists also report higher levels of prejudice.
⚬ Second, the size of these relationships is not so great as to suggest that all
fundamentalists are prejudiced.
⚬ Third, the relationship between fundamentalism may be linked to prejudice by
other critical variables, such as the degree to which the individual is personally or
socially rigid.
03
Rituals of purification are coping methods that allow people to cleanse themselves
of their sins and reconcile with God.
Rituals can take many forms.
• Drawing on any number of physical elements (e.g., water, fire, rain, ashes, sun,
and blood)
• Variety of behaviors (social isolation, repentance, sacrifice, punishment;
SPIRITUAL
PURIFICATION IN GROUPS, THEY INVOLVE THREE STEPS:
(a) a recognition of personal transgressions
(b) reparations for the misdeeds
(c) a “cleaning of the slate,” accompanied by divine acceptance,
forgiveness, and reconciliation.
03 SPIRITUAL PURIFICATION

(Pennebaker and his colleagues) The group of “trauma” participants were further
subdivided into three subgroups that were asked to write:
• (a) only about their feelings related to the trauma (trauma-emotion)
• (b) only about the facts associated with the trauma (trauma-factual)
• (c) both their feelings and the facts related to the trauma (trauma combination).

Apparently, the process of “confession” increased distress for a short time but enhanced
physical health over the long run.
03 SPIRITUAL PURIFICATION

Spiritual forms of purification are marked by a sense of acceptance and forgiveness from
the divine. Potentially powerful spiritual experiences of this kind could magnify the impact
of the confession on the individual’s emotional and physical well-being.

• The ultimate goal of spiritual purification is not simply to enhance the psychological or
physical well-being of the individual but to bring the individual back to the sacred
03
One way to maintain beliefs in a just, loving God in the midst of
trauma and loss is to see a larger, benign, spiritual purpose
behind the negative event.
SPIRITUAL
REFRAMING
03 SPIRITUAL REFRAMING

• Bulman and Wortman (1977) - In their study of victims paralyzed by accidents to the spinal cord found that the most
popular answer to the question Why me? was that God had a reason. Seeing a spiritual design beneath tragedy,
interpreting negative events as opportunities for spiritual growth, or attributing loss to a loving God whose will
cannot be fully understood are ways that people preserve their beliefs in the benevolence of the divine in the face of
trauma
• Jenkins and Pargament (1988) - asked patients with cancer about the degree to which they felt that God was in
control of their illness. Attributions of control over the illness to God were tied to self-reports of greater self-esteem
and nurses’ reports of better patient adjustment.
• Mickley, Pargament, Brant, and Hipp (1998) - found that benevolent religious reframing of the experience was
associated with perceptions of greater coping efficacy, more positive spiritual outcomes, and greater purpose in life.
In contrast, beliefs that God was apathetic or unfair were linked to more depression and anxiety and lower purpose in
life.
 03 SPIRITUAL REFRAMING

Disadvantage
• Self-blame and guilt
• Victim-blame and derogation
• Fear and anxiety

Researchers also have reported correlations between these negative forms of religious reframing and higher levels of
depression, distress, physical symptomatology, and maladjustment to life stressors
04
• The search for the sacred is a continuous journey
The Cycle of that involves discovery, conservation, and
Discovery, rediscovery over the life span.

Conservation, and • Internal changes, developmental transitions, and

Rediscovery of the external events can lead to a loss or change in the

understanding of the sacred.
Sacred over the
Life Span • Spiritual methods, such as religious rites of
transition and spiritual conversion, help individuals
navigate periods of loss and incorporate the sacred
into their lives.
04
The Cycle of
Discovery, • The process of discovering, conserving, and
rediscovering the sacred is essential to spirituality
Conservation, and and is a highly individualized phenomenon

Rediscovery of the influenced by various forces.

Sacred over the • Spirituality evolves in different ways for each

Life Span person based on biological, social, psychological,

situational, and transcendent factors.
Conclusion and 05
I M P L I C AT I O N S
• Spirituality is a process that taps into human potential and uniqueness.
• It cannot be reduced to purely biological, psychological, or social processes.
• Psychologist are beginning to recognize the positive implications of spirituality on human
functioning.
• There is a need to study spirituality up close by engaging with spiritually oriented individuals
and their practices
• Psychospiritual interventions are being developed to integrate spiritual resources into clinical
practice.
• Collaboration between psychologists and spiritual communities can enrich the understanding and
practice of positive psychology.
Article
REVIEW
The Relationship Between Spirituality, Health-Related
Behavior, and Psychological Well-Being
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

• The study is rooted in the positive psychology movement, which focuses on enhancing well-
being rather than merely treating disorders.
• This movement encompasses two main approaches: the hedonistic approach, which
emphasizes subjective well-being (SWB) characterized by positive affect and life
satisfaction, and the eudaimonic approach, which focuses on psychological well-being
(PWB) defined by realizing one's full potential.
• The study aims to explore the relations between spirituality, health-related behaviors, and
psychological well-being
 METHODOLOGY

Participants: 595 students from six Polish universities

Measures: First is Psychological Well-Being that contains 42 items in six subscales (Self-
Acceptance, Personal Growth, Purpose in Life, Positive Relations with Others, Environmental
Mastery, and Autonomy). Next is the self-report questionnaire that measure the level of
spirituality. Lastly, Inventory of Health-Related Behavior and this is intended to measure health
behaviors

Path Analysis: Used to examine relationships between spirituality, health behaviors, and
psychological well-being
R E S U LT

Direct Relationships
• Spirituality and health-related behaviors were directly related with psychological well-being
• Spirituality showed a positive relationship with health-related behaviors
Indirect Relationships
• Spirituality -> Health-Related Behaviors -> Psychological Well-Being
• Part of spirituality's effect on well-being is mediated by health-related behaviors
R E S U LT

No Significant Direct Relationships

• Between type of education and psychological well-being
• Between type of education and health-related behaviors
Significant Relationship
• Between the type of education and spirituality was stronger in the human mind and spirit
group
 R E S U LT

Indirect Relationships with Education

• Although no direct relationship between psychological well-being and type of education was
found, indirect relationships were note with spirituality and both spirituality and health-
related behavior but not with health-related behavior alone.
• Although these relationships are not direct, the results suggest that acquiring education on
psychosocial health and the human mind and spirit might be associated with a stronger
relationship of spirituality and health-related behaviors with psychological well-being.
R E S U LT

Control Variables
Gender
• More women in human mind and spirit studies
• Balanced ratio in physical health and human body studies
Age
• Slightly higher in the human mind and spirit group

The variance of psychological well-being explained by this model was R2 = 0.175, which means
that a large portion of it is accounted for in sources other than variables contained in the model.
 R E S U LT

• Psychological well-being lower in the human mind and spirit group

• Health-related behavior predictor significant in physical health and human body group
• The coefficient of health-related behavior in the group educated in physical health and the
human body was significant, and the human mind and spirit group did not differ from it
significantly
• The relationship between spirituality and psychological well-being was significant as well. but
the slope was steeper in the human mind and spirit group

It can be thus concluded that spirituality has a stronger relationship with psychological well-being in
university students whose curricula focus on the psychosocial dimension of health and the human
mind and spirit.
 DISCUSSIONS

• Positive Association: The study indicates a positive correlation between spirituality and health-related behaviors with
psychological well-being. This suggests that individuals who engage in spiritual practices and adopt healthy
behaviors tend to experience higher levels of psychological well-being.

• Influence of Spirituality on Health Behaviors: Spirituality plays a significant role in shaping individuals' health
behaviors. Spiritual beliefs and practices may motivate individuals to adopt healthier lifestyles, leading to improved
overall well-being.

• Impact on Psychological Well-Being: The findings emphasize the importance of spirituality and health-related
behaviors in defining psychological well-being. Focusing on physical health, mental well-being, and spiritual
development can contribute to a more holistic sense of well-being.
 DISCUSSIONS

• Educational Implications: The study underscores the need for incorporating spiritual and philosophical content in
university study programs to enhance students' understanding of human health and well-being. Investing in resources
associated with spirituality can have practical applications in education and contribute to students' emotional and
existential well-being.

• Limitations and Future Research: The study acknowledges limitations such as the cross-sectional design, self-report
methods, and the need for longitudinal research to explore the impact of education on spirituality and well-being.
Future studies could benefit from a more comprehensive approach and longitudinal design to provide deeper insights
into the relationship between spirituality, health behaviors, and psychological well-being.
 C R I T I Q UE
Accuracy

• The study employs path analysis and linear regression to model the relationships between spirituality, health-related
behaviors, and psychological well-being, providing a structured approach to data analysis. The use of standardized
coefficients and statistical methods enhances the accuracy of the findings.

• The cross-sectional design of the study limits the ability to establish causal relationships between variables. While the
study acknowledges this limitation, it is important to note that causality cannot be inferred from the gathered data.
Longitudinal research would provide more robust evidence of causal relationships.
 C R I T I Q UE
Strengths

• The study explores the relationships between spirituality, health-related behaviors, and psychological well-being in
the context of acquired education, offering a unique perspective on these interconnected constructs.

• Path analysis is a valuable statistical tool for examining complex relationships between variables and provides a
framework for understanding direct, indirect, and total effects within the model.

• The study's focus on university students from different academic backgrounds adds diversity to the sample and
allows for comparisons based on the type of acquired education.
 C R I T I Q UE
Limitations
• The study relies on self-report measures for data collection, which may introduce bias due to social desirability or
inaccurate self-assessment. Using objective measures or combining self-report data with other assessment methods
could enhance the validity of the results.

• The sample size of 595 students from six universities may not be representative of the broader population, limiting
the generalizability of the findings. Including a more diverse and larger sample could strengthen the study's external
validity.

• The study does not consider other potential determinants of the examined variables, such as cultural or
socioeconomic factors, which could influence the relationships between spirituality, health behaviors, and well-being.
Future research should account for these additional factors to provide a more comprehensive analysis.
 Article
SYNTHESIS
• The study examines the relationships between spirituality, health-related behaviors, and psychological well-
being in university students with different educational focuses.

• Path analysis and linear regression are used to model these relationships, revealing a positive association
between spirituality, health behaviors, and psychological well-being.

• Results suggest that spirituality influences health behaviors and plays a significant role in shaping
individuals' overall well-being.

• Students in programs emphasizing the human mind and spirit show a stronger relationship between
spirituality and psychological well-being.
 Article
SYNTHESIS
• The study highlights the importance of incorporating spiritual and philosophical content in university
curricula to enhance students' understanding of well-being.

• Limitations include the cross-sectional design, reliance on self-report measures, and the need for more
diverse samples and longitudinal research.

• Practical implications include the potential for educational programs to promote spiritual development and
holistic well-being among students.
PERSONAL INSIGHTS
 REFLECTIVE QUESTION

1. In what ways does spirituality influence your daily life,

thoughts, and decisions?
 REFLECTIVE QUESTION

2. Reflect on a time when you feel a strong spiritual

connection. What were the circumstances, and how did it
affect you?
Thank you for listening.
Have a spiritual day
ahead!!!