Personal crises have been associated with spiritual growth. Sparked by the global response to the crisis of September 11, 2001, the authors examined the relationship of spirituality and the September 11 tragedy using a sample of convenience from a college student population. This preliminary study used an experimental design to examine various effects of the world crisis events of September 11 on components of individual spirituality. Spirituality was conceptualized using a 4‐component model, Significant differences between the experimental and control groups were found on the Transcendence subscale. Taking into consideration the different kinds of tragedies, the authors present implications for counseling and suggest directions for future research.