Spirituality And Religiosity And Overall Well Being Essay

The term spirituality comes from the word, spirit, and a suffix -uality. Spirit has a general meaning of entity or life force, which is not physical. Spirituality thus means anything that has a relationship with spirit and its features or qualities. However, spirituality in human beings has two main components a primary component, spirit and human entities, that is, will and conscience. Spirituality in human beings is what leads to other desirable and undesirable qualities such as integrity and selfishness respectively. It is the only way in which human beings gain hope, comfort, inner peace, and meaning in their lives. Spirituality has been wrongly associated with religion since time immemorial. To me, spirituality is more than what we can simply call religion or faith. Religious beliefs are made of individual spirituality, which are mostly universal. Spirituality is developed outside religion itself.

Religion and spirituality have been complex issues in the United States of America. This is especially true when it comes to Native Americans. Since the 16th century, contact between Native Americans and Europeans has been filled with both good and bad. In this paper, the issue of religion and spirituality and how they figure into the story of Indian-European contact between the 16th and 21st centuries will be discussed.

According to Mussell (2005) spirituality is a “state that reflects inner peace, personal harmony and balance” (p.122). I believe that I have found inner peace, harmony, and balance. I found it through constant questioning of my purpose on earth and have concluded that I was placed here to help others. Thus, I believe that bettering myself in all these needs is essential before I can help others. Mussell (2005) suggests that intuitiveness should be used to guide us in our everyday lives (p.122). Through trial and error, I have learned that my intuition is usually right and is something that should not be second guessed. Mussell (2005) also suggests that spirituality is valuing “the Great Spirit” (p.122), which is the First Nations God. I do believe that there is a supreme being who choses our destiny, but I am not certain of who it is or what his or her full capabilities are. I was brought up in a Lutheran family, but as I have grown up I more believe in Evolution Theories rather than Creation Theories. Furthermore, I do believe in reincarnation. I feel as though there has to be something more than just this one life. I struggle to understand my spiritual needs and beliefs, but I know through time it will become more

Spirituality and religion are often seen as significantly positive resources for individuals dealing with hardship and adversity throughout the life course. Spiritual coping is often effective and most often employed when in unfathomable situations or faced with "problems of human insufficiency" (Pargament, 1998). However, spirituality may also be diminished when it becomes associated with demoralization or negativity, such as when one feels abandoned by faith or condemned by the world (Van Hook, 2013) in their current situation or experience. Higher powers and spiritual connection then begin to appear either irrelevant or beyond reach, and viewpoints become fatalistic as individuals resign to the belief that their faith has not helped them.

Spirituality is an interdependence of an individual to the religion and religious beliefs, such as, visiting to temple, church and other religious buildings and participating on spiritual activities (praying, meditation, worshiping and donation). In my opinion, spirituality is the way of existing in the society and the world because every human being learn to adjust in the society from their religious beliefs and value systems which are unique among various people. Spirituality helps to find the meaning of different circumstances of the individual’s life, which provides better solution of any problem in their life. Similarly, spirituality explains the human boundaries which promotes the safety and belongingness among various people. Also it is the way of understanding the world and their role in the world.

Mark R. McMinn’s (2011) Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling establish a way to bring Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality to Christian Counselors. He introduces a replica of how to integrate the three disciplines in the counseling office. The purpose of the book is to instruct counselors how to integrate categories of Psychology, Theology and Spirituality into Christian Counseling. McMinn (2011) contends that many challenges both professional and personal face Christian Counselors on the frontier of intradisciplinary integration. (Intradisciplinary integration is the new emerging frontier for Christian Counselors).

One major effect of well-developed spirituality include having a positive and meaningful view of life and developing a sense of coherence that allows survivors of abuse and neglect to comprehend and make meaningful sense of trauma, and manage personal resources to deal with stressors in life (Glenn, 2014). As a Christian it is easy to make the correlation between a strong, confident spiritual relationship with the ability to overcome struggles and trauma of our past. It is encouraging to see empirical research to support our beliefs.

Richard Savel, MD, and Cindy Munro, RN, PHD, ANP, (2014) said it best when they said, “Spirituality can also be defined as the

For the purpose of this paper, the term spirituality will include the specific adherence to a religious movement as well as broader forms of beliefs (i.e. meaning making, hope and faith, prayer). Spirituality is being considered because of the large role it plays in the lives of some individuals. There isWe see an increase in this number when

Religion is a guideline for social conduct; additionally one may conclude of the gospel, and superstitious practices are the closest perceptible occurrence humans can term ‘magic. ' There are several definitions of the word religion because no one seems concise. One proper definition, according to Merriam-Webster, is “Religion is a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices” (Merriam-Webster, 2015). One might think that this distinguishing definition is most suitable for the purpose of this assignment. This paper will discuss the interviews of three different people who associate themselves with a particular religion. Hiawatha Macomb, Maxine Hawthorne, and Christian X will answer questions about their beliefs concerning religion, spirituality, faith, and perceptions about religion. In brief, the participants will have honest discussions about their beliefs in God and the supernatural.

Spirituality is defined in several ways as it pertains to different worldviews. Today we will look at the worldview as it relates to Pluralism, Scientism and Postmodernism.

“Spirituality and Stress Relief”, an article composed by the staff of Mayo Clinic, goes over two important components. What is Spirituality? And how does it help with Stress Relief?

Spirituality can have a variety of different meanings to different people. To some it means to be one with nature, to others it is the search for the meaning of life or a person’s concept of God/a higher being. However, spirituality is best understood as “looking beyond the individual to family, community, and support networks” (Maloof, n.d.).

“Spirituality is derived from the Latin word spiritus, spirit, the essential part of the person which controls the mind and the mind controls the body. Thus the spirit is the vital life force which motivate people and influence ones life, health behavior and relationships” (Baldacchino & Draper, 2001). She also stated that spirituality is the mainstream of life which unifies all aspects of the human being. Spirituality applies to both believers and non believers, including the presence of diverse cultural beliefs (Baldacchino & Draper, 2001). Culliford stated that : “In times of emotional stress, physical illness, loss, bereavement and death human beings tend to find comfort, peace, inspiration, reverence and meaning by focusing on their spirituality whether they believe in God or not” (Culliford, 2002). In a study conducted by Tuck and Thingajana the meaning of spirituality was voiced by person living with HIV disease and healthy adults. The definitions voiced by the HIV patients were that “Spirituality is relating and believing in God, who is always present. It is perceived as being guided or helped or being inspired or giving unto. Spirituality includes the process of journeying, discovering and centering and is outwardly expressed” (Tuck & Thinganjana, 2007). The definitions of Spirituality expressed by the healthy individuals were that:

Spirituality. Beyond being a term that generally conjures up vague images of religion and contemplation, what exactly does it mean and why is it important? First, spirituality is not equivalent to religion. It can be connected to religion and religious beliefs, but it is much broader in scope, including a sense of meaning, purpose, and belonging. It is the core of one’s being and it affects, connects, and transcends all aspects of being. Therefore, spirituality has a profound impact on everyone’s lives whether they realize it or not. This paper will explore personal aspects of Valerie’s spirituality through a basic spiritual assessment and the impact it has on her personal life and care for future patients.