The effect of misapplied religious practices in some alternative religious groups

Abstract

The positive impact that religion generally has on human beings has been suggested by different studies. However, it cannot be assumed that religion always contributes to the wellbeing of believers. Religious systems can be misused, resulting in people being spiritually and even physically hurt and harmed. This study investigates certain aspects of some alternative religious group in order to determine the impact it has on the well-being of the members of these groups. It was found that people are drawn to these groups because of the challenges they present, the display of true love amongst members and the 'message' of an authoritative charismatic leader that resonates with them and convinces them to become part. As time pass, members were challenged with questionable aspects that appear in the activities and teaching of these groups. Obtaining clarity on these concerns was strongly discouraged by the culture and other members of the group, resulting in members suppressing doubts and emotions. Adherence to the tenets of the group then occurred as a result of peer pressure and out of fear instead of true conviction. The study concludes that most of the respondents in the study reported that their experience in these groups did not contribute to their well-being, and emotionally, they struggled to adapt to society and other religious groups after leaving the group.

Nonreligious spirituality, mental health, and well-being.

“…It could be related to the influences of participants' current involvement with NRS. For example, research has indicated difficulty in functioning well in society after leaving certain new religious movement groups (Pretorius, 2014), and many of these groups emphasize spirituality over religion (Clarke, 2006). More research on how NRS or involvement with new religious movement groups is needed.…”

“…Nonreligious Spirituality (NRS) has been attracting more attention from psychological research in recent years (Aird et al, 2010; Buxant et al, 2007; Coates, 2012; Davis et al, 2015; Houtman et al, 2009; Pretorius, 2014). Much of this research has yielded positive results.…”

“…However, the majority of the research on R/S and mental health has explored individuals who are involved in traditional religious groups, and this gap in the current literature calls for a deeper investigation into the impact of NRS on mental health. Namely, although some literature has yielded a positive relationship between NRS and emotional well-being, some negative and mixed effects on emotional well-being have also been found (e.g., Buxant et al, 2010; Pretorius, 2014). In addition, although past research has found that religious involvement is positively associated with a sense of meaning (Koenig, 2012), the vast majority of this research has been conducted in traditionally religious participants; less research has been conducted on NRS.…”

“…Similar to traditional religious involvement, research has linked NRS to positive emotional well-being, including tension management in community (Coates, 2012), religious sense of coherence (Namini & Murken, 2009), and general life satisfaction (Latkin et al, 1987). At the same time, some research has found negative effects of NRS on emotional well-being, including difficulty adjusting to society after leaving the NRS group (Pretorius, 2014). Taken together, the majority of research has found positive effects of NRS on well-being.…”