The Indirect Relationship Between Spiritual Experiences and Subjective Wellbeing Through Hope? A Sample of Chilean Students

Spirituality and religiousness are important factors for adolescents wellbeing. Little is known about the mechanisms underlying the positive relationship between spirituality as well as religiousness and subjective wellbeing. This study aimed to verify, whether, in a sample of Chilean students, religiousness is indirectly related to hope through spiritual experiences, and whether spiritual experiences are indirectly related to subjective wellbeing via hope. The sample consisted of 177 Chilean students and the following measures were applied: the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale, the Herth Hope Index, the Satisfaction With Life Scale, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and one item measuring the frequencies of prayer and Mass attendance. According to obtained results religiousness was indirectly, positively related to hope through spiritual experiences. In turn spiritual experiences were indirectly, positively related to subjective wellbeing through hope. Conducted research confirmed the beneficial role of religious practices, spiritual experiences, and hope for Chilean students' subjective wellbeing and the presence of mechanisms underlying the relationships between religiousness as well as spirituality and subjective wellbeing.

Spiritual Struggle and Spiritual Growth of Bereft College Students in a Christian Evangelical University

This article examines spiritual struggle in bereft Christian evangelical students and how struggle might potentiate spiritual growth. The death loss of a close person can result in shattered assumptions about the world that trigger spiritual questions and struggle and spiritual struggle can be a catalyst for growth. To our knowledge, spiritual growth has not been measured utilizing the actual voices of those struggling with the loss, nor has it been measured in Christian evangelical populations who may find it more threatening to yield to spiritual questioning. The Spirit-centered Change Model guides our conceptualization of spiritual growth from a Christian evangelical perspective. Utilizing a mixed methods design, bereft college students (n=161) at a Christian evangelical university answered questionnaires about religious coping, daily spiritual experiences, meaning in life, and open-ended questions about their spiritual growth and how students’ beliefs about God had changed after the loss. Compared to non-bereft peers, bereft students reported higher daily spiritual experiences, but bereft students who struggled spiritually reported less meaning and daily spiritual experiences than bereft students who did not struggle. Narrative responses indicated that spiritual struggle simultaneously tended to reflect more expansive beliefs around God and a deepened spirituality, according to the Spirit-centered Change Model. Results reflect a first empirical step toward measuring spiritual growth as epistemological change.

Religious Experience and Clinical-EEG Aspects in Adult People with Epilepsy

Spirituality and religiosity are complex cognitive phenomena; however, the relationship between spiritual experiences and epilepsy continues to be debated. Methods. Data from the daily spiritual experience scale (DSES) were related to EEG data and clinical variables of 100 adult people with epilepsy (PWEs). DSES scores were compared to 51 normal individuals (control group [CG]), with a significance level of P < .05. Results. The total score in the DSES was 36.1 ± 14 and 37.6 ± 13.2, respectively, in the PWEs and in the CG. In the PWEs, there was a correlation between DSES and age (Pearson's correlation; −0.22; P = .027) and educational level (0.207; P = .039). PWEs with ≥one seizure/month have a lower frequency of daily spiritual experiences than those with better controlled seizures ( T-test; 39.2 ± 16.2 vs 31.7 ± 7.6; P = .038). EEG epileptiform activity (EA) in the right hemisphere was associated with a higher frequency of spiritual experiences than those with left-hemisphere EA (29.8 ± 9.0 vs 38.5 ± 17.5; P = .010). Conclusion. Demographic aspects, EA in the right hemisphere, and lower seizure frequency are associated with daily spiritual experiences in epilepsy, suggesting an association between aspects of spirituality, epilepsy, and neurobiological correlates.

Spirituality among Doctor of Physical Therapy Students in Lahore, Pakistan

Aim: To determine Doctor of Physical Therapy student attitudes towards spirituality. Methods: This Observational Study was conducted from March 2018 to June 2018 after ethical approval. Total of 1003 participants were recruited through purposive non-probability sampling technique. DPT students from public/ private Universities were included in the study and Graduated Physical Therapist and Postgraduate Physical Therapy Students were excluded. 16-item Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (DSES) was used to record response. Results: The mean age of the participants was 54.90 ± 6.8 years ranging from 18 years to 23 years. Out of 1003 195(19.4%) were males and 808(80.6%) were females, 312(31.1%) having no clinical attachment and 691(68.9%) having clinical attachment. 4949(49.3%) were in Riphah international university, 68(6.8%) were in SAHS children hospital, 122(12.2%) were in SPT, Mayo Hospital, 319(31.8%) were in Rashid Lateef Medical College. The result shows that there is no significant difference in spirituality score among DPT students of different institutes according to age, gender, year of study and clinical attachment. Conclusion: This study concluded that entry-level DPT students had positive attitude towards spirituality. Keywords: Spirituality, DPT Students, Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale.

Do Involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous and Religiousness Both Directly and Indirectly through Meaning in Life Lead to Spiritual Experiences?

Spirituality is a key element of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) recovery. However, little is known about the potential religious and secular sources of spiritual experiences in AA fellowship. The aim of the study was to verify if in a sample of AA participants, meaning in life mediates the relationship between their religiousness and spiritual experiences, as well as between their involvement in AA and spiritual experiences. The study sample consisted of 70 Polish AA participants, and the following tools were used: the Alcoholics Anonymous Involvement Scale (AAIS); Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire (SCSORFQ); Purpose in Life Test (PIL); two one-item measures regarding frequency of prayer and Mass attendance; and the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (DSES) duration of AA participation, which was positively related to involvement in addiction self-help groups and religiousness. Involvement in AA and religiousness were positively related to meaning in life, which in turn positively correlated with spiritual experiences. This research indicated that in a sample of AA participants, finding meaning in life partially mediates the relationship between religiousness and spiritual experiences, as well as fully mediating the relationship between involvement in AA and spiritual experiences. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

The Experience and Correlates of God’s Silence among Christians

The aim of the study was to find out if Christians experience God’s silence and if so, what are its correlates during the COVID-19 pandemic. The second purpose of the study was to identify the connections between the experience of God’s silence and depressive mood disorders and the impact of God’s silence on other spiritual experiences. The study was conducted online on a group of 771 people, mostly Christians. The experience of God’s silence was declared by 82.1% of the respondents. This experience does not depend on the sex of the respondents, but correlates with their age. The experience of God’s silence is commensurate with the joy that comes from having a relationship with God through daily spiritual experiences. Additionally, the conducted research shows that experience of God’s silence resembles a state rather than a permanent feature with a visible ending, which is associated with a change in the image of God. The consequences of experiencing God’s silence need not to be negative. The conducted research shows that the most frequently mentioned effect of this experience is the strengthening and consolidation of faith.

Exploring the Roles of Daily Spiritual Experiences, Self-Efficacy, and Gender in Shopping Addiction: A Moderated Mediation Model

Although spirituality has been considered a protective factor against shopping addiction, the mechanisms involved in this relationship are still poorly recognized. The present study aims to test the association of daily spiritual experiences, self-efficacy, and gender with shopping addiction. The sample consisted of 430 young adults (275 women and 155 men), with a mean age of 20.44 (SD = 1.70). The Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale were used to measure the study variables. The results showed that: (1) Daily spiritual experiences had a direct negative effect on shopping addiction; (2) daily spiritual experiences were positively related to self-efficacy, thought the effect was moderated by gender; (3) self-efficacy negatively correlated with a shopping addiction; and (4) the indirect effect of daily spiritual experiences on shopping addiction through self-efficacy was significant for women but insignificant for men. The findings confirm that spirituality protects young adults against developing a shopping addiction. They also suggest that when introducing spiritual issues into shopping addiction prevention or treatment programs, the gender-specific effects of spirituality on shopping addiction via self-efficacy should be considered to adequately utilize young women’s and men’s spiritual resources.

Effects of Spirituality, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices toward Anxiety Regarding COVID-19 among the General Population in INDONESIA: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Currently, the determinants of anxiety and its related factors in the general population affected by COVID-19 are poorly understood. We examined the effects of spirituality, knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) on anxiety regarding COVID-19. Methods: Online cross-sectional data (n = 1082) covered 17 provinces. The assessment included the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, and the KAP-COVID-19 questionnaire. Results: Multiple linear regression revealed that individuals who had low levels of spirituality had increased anxiety compared to those with higher levels of spirituality. Individuals had correct knowledge of early symptoms and supportive treatment (K3), and that individuals with chronic diseases and those who were obese or elderly were more likely to be severe cases (K4). However, participants who chose incorrect concerns about there being no need for children and young adults to take measures to prevent COVID-19 (K9) had significantly lower anxiety compared to those who responded with the correct choice. Participants who disagreed about whether society would win the battle against COVID-19 (A1) and successfully control it (A2) were associated with higher anxiety. Those with the practice of attending crowded places (P1) had significantly higher anxiety. Conclusions: Spirituality, knowledge, attitudes, and practice were significantly correlated with anxiety regarding COVID-19 in the general population.

The Christian Contentment Scale: An Emic Measure for Assessing Inner Satisfaction within the Christian Tradition

In the present study, the authors developed the Christian Contentment Scale (CCS), an emic measure for assessing both the experience (i.e., inner satisfaction) and source (i.e., God) of contentment among Christian adults. First, the authors reviewed key writings from secular psychology, Buddhism, and Christianity to operationalize a definition of Christian contentment and generate an initial pool of 25 items for further analysis. Second, the authors conducted an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with separate subsamples of online Christian adults ( N = 475), identifying and confirming a one-factor solution for the final 10-item scale. Third, the authors examined the reliability and validity of the CCS, with results revealing the scale had adequate internal consistency, was positively correlated with mindful qualities, life contentment, state contentment, equanimity, and daily spiritual experiences, and predicted equanimity and daily spiritual experiences, after controlling for state contentment. The authors concluded by exploring the salient role that Christian contentment can play in a more holistic, culturally sensitive conceptualization of psychological and spiritual health.