The neuroscience of spirituality, religion, and mental health: A systematic review and synthesis

Spirituality as a Therapeutic Approach for Severe Mental Illness: Insights from Neural Networks

“…Studies are increasingly examining the potential connections between spiritual practices, meditation, brain function, and mental health (van Elk and Aleman 2017). Researchers aim to understand how spiritual beliefs, practices, and experiences may influence mental health outcomes, and they investigate the underlying neurobiological mechanisms that may explain these connections (Rosmarin et al 2022).…”

“…Currently, there is no generally accepted definition of spirituality, and its definitions have evolved over time (McCarroll et al 2005). The progress of research in this field has been hindered by the absence of a unanimous agreement on the definition of spirituality and a lack of financial support (Pesut et al 2008;Rosmarin et al 2022). Traditionally associated with religious processes connecting humans to a higher power, spirituality now extends to encompass an individual's connection to a sense of purpose, meaning, and transcendence.…”

“…It may also refer to a subjective experience of a sacred dimension (Saucier and Skrzypinska 2006) and the "deepest values and meanings by which people live" (Waaijman 2002;Sheldrake 2007). In the context of this article, spirituality is broadly characterized as an individual's subjective encounters with a "higher power" and/or their sense of connection with the transcendent (Rosmarin et al 2022).…”

“…Potential associations between spirituality, religion, and mental health or well-being have been increasingly studied over the past decades (van Elk and Aleman 2017; Rim et al 2019;Jetan et al 2023). Numerous studies have supported various positive outcomes of mental health and overall well-being related to spirituality and/or religiosity (Rosmarin et al 2022). Religious beliefs and commitments, which are aspects of spirituality, have been shown to help individuals cope with stressful life events, reduce death anxiety, enhance life satisfaction, improve adjustment, and decrease the likelihood of developing depression and anxiety (Rim et al 2019).…”

Rerouting spiritual bypass: An internal family systems approach.

“…A quarter of this population is not religiously affiliated (Pew Research Center, 2023), which suggests an innate desire for spirituality in their personal lives regardless of religious background. Modern research has consistently demonstrated that spirituality is neuroprotective to depression and other forms of mental illness (Miller et al, 2014; McClintock et al, 2019; Rim et al, 2019; Rosmarin et al, 2022). Nevertheless, spirituality can bestow an unwanted side effect when it acts as a means of psychological avoidance, which is known as spiritual bypass (Picciotto et al, 2018; Welwood, 1984).…”