posted 11th August 2023
Over millennia, in different cultures and times, spirituality means different things to different people. For some it is following a particular religion and engaging in spiritual practices such as yoga or meditation; for others, it can be spending quality time connecting with nature.
Either way, humans have different aspects to their existence, including social, biological, emotional, physical and spiritual. Here is where mental health and spirituality intersect.
There is growing recognition among researchers across multiple disciplines that spirituality can play a positive role in mental health and can promote positive mental health, well-being, and recovery from mental illness.
How Spirituality and Mental Health Are Related
In order to understand how spirituality and mental health are related, researchers examined the mechanisms that might explain potential benefits. Many of these mechanisms seem to involve different coping styles, social and support networks, body function mechanisms, and environmental factors.
Several spiritual traditions encourage positive emotions such as hope, contentment, love, and forgiveness. We may benefit from these emotions because the nerve pathways that connect to our hormones and immune systems are affected by these emotions. Our environment also has a role to play in relation to spirituality and mental health.
Beneficial and Positive Effects of Spirituality on Our Health
Spirituality has helped some to find meaning, hope, value, and purpose in their lives and a sense that there is more to life than the material world. Yoga and meditation offer meaning and value to those who regularly practice them and have been associated with improvements in mental health and a reduction in anxiety.
Spiritual activity has long been believed, recognised, and documented to benefit physical health. The most basic benefit of spiritual activity is that it extends your life. According to recent studies, people with more spiritual involvement tend to die older than those who don’t.
There has been research showing the benefits of spiritual activity for cardiovascular disorders, AIDS, and cancer. This new perspective suggests that spiritual activities may protect or benefit mental health by reducing symptoms of depression and increasing well-being.
Spirituality and Anxiety
Similar research has been conducted on anxiety and spirituality.
Anxiety can manifest in various ways, including emotional, intellectual, physical, and social symptoms. There are various symptoms of these disorders, such as feelings of remorse, sadness, or loneliness, lack of concentration or learning new information, rapid breathing or pulse rate, difficulty sleeping or eating, fear of social situations, reduced socialisation, agitation, or aggressive behaviour.
A lack of meaning in life, feelings of disconnection and disinterest, abandoning previous spiritual beliefs, anxiety about the future, and fear of dying are considered spiritual symptoms of anxiety.
Anxiety and spirituality in people with chronic disease (long-term) or life-threatening illnesses have been extensively researched, with individuals engaging in spirituality, reporting a reduction in anxiety, and increased self-esteem, compared to those who did not engage at all.
Spirituality and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD, usually a delayed response that occurs after exposure to a traumatic event such as war, terror attacks, traffic accidents, natural disasters, or abuse, whether physical, sexual, emotional or psychological. Researchers in the US have observed that spirituality benefits people during trauma, crisis, and grief.
Spirituality and Schizophrenia
For those suffering from chronic Schizophrenia, spirituality has been shown to provide a significant and positive influence. Studies have shown that spiritual beliefs play an important role in rebuilding a sense of self and recovery. Other studies indicate that these beliefs provide comfort, hope, and meaning to those affected and living with this condition and those recovering from the disease, even though these benefits are not yet properly understood or researched.
Biofield therapies such as Reiki, are alternative healing practices that aim to bring balance to an individual's biological energy field to facilitate healing. These therapies, which incorporate the notion of universal life energy, are frequently connected with spirituality but are not necessarily a component of it.
Wherever you are on your health and healing journey, introducing practices that aim to balance and re-align your Biofield system offers a wider perspective on health and wellness. When combined with holistic health, it can improve your overall quality of life.
These practices are non-invasive, safe and can be practiced alongside conventional medicine and modern healthcare solutions.