What Is Spirituality?

What Is Spirituality?
• “Spirituality is that which gives meaning to one's life and
draws one to transcend oneself. Spirituality is a broader
concept than religion, although that is one expression of
spirituality. Other expressions include prayer, meditation,
interactions with others or nature, and relationship with
God or a higher power.”
( Burkhardt, M. "Spirituality: An Analysis of The Concept,"
Holistic Nursing Practice, May 1989:60 -77)
 What Is Your Big Question?
• How did we get here?
• What happens when we die?
• What is my purpose?
• Why is there suffering?
• How should I live?
• Who am I?
• Is there a God?/What is God?
“My religion is simple. My religion is kindness.”
-HH The Dalai Lama

“The least of things with a meaning is worth more in

life than the greatest of things without it.”
-Carl Jung

“Faith is a universal human phenomenon. All people

live by some faith.”
-Fr. Roger Haight
 Peak Experience
"Think of the most wonderful experience of
your life: the happiest moments, ecstatic
moments, moments of rapture, perhaps from
being in love, or from listening to music or
suddenly 'being hit' by a book or painting, or
from some creative moment."
(Maslow, Toward a Psychology of Being, 1962)
 Meditation
Prayer
Yoga/Mindful Exercise
Pilgrimage
Time in Nature
Music and Art
Communal Practice
 Benefits of Meditation Suggested By
Studies to Date:

• Improved healing time and decreased frequency

of illness
• Improved blood pressure
• Improved cognitive function and attention span
• Increased activity in the parts of the brain
associated with feelings of well-being
• Reduced distress when experiencing pain
• Reduced inflammation
• Decreased stress
What People Imagine Mediation Is
 Benefits of Spiritual Practice
• Regularly attending religious services (of any kind) is linked to
improved health and quality of life.
• A specially designed yoga program improved sleep quality and
reduced fatigue in cancer patients, and some forms of yoga
have been shown to reduce depression and anxiety.
• Research indicates that tai chi/qi gong may increase bone
density, improve immune function, reduce pain, and improve
quality of life.
• Contemplative prayer appears to have positive cardiovascular
effects.
• Pilgrimage may increase religious tolerance and connection to
one’s faith.
 Beliefs That May Cause Distress
• “God is angry at me.”
• “God will heal me if I have enough faith.”
• “The devil is making me sick.”
• “I shouldn’t feel anger at God/doubt in my
faith/disconnection from my pastor, etc.”
 Beliefs That May Bring Comfort
• “God loves everyone, and does not want
anyone to suffer.”
• “God is with people who suffer.”
• “I have a choice about my response to
suffering.”
• “No matter how sick I am, I can still do some
things that are worthwhile.”
• “It is okay for me to feel doubt about my faith
sometimes.”
 Spiritual Inventory: True or False?
• “I feel a sense of purpose and meaning.”
• “My current spiritual practice supports me in the
challenges I am facing.”
• “My spiritual community makes me feel stronger
and more connected.”
• “When I suffer for no good reason I can
understand, I still feel connected to my
spirituality.”
• “My spiritual life helps me face hard realities of
life, such as old age, sickness and death.”
 Values Test
• What was your “peak experience?” What has
been the most transcendent or happy
moment in your life so far?
• What accomplishment are you most proud of?
• What do you want people to say about your
life when it is over?
• What kind of community would you build if
you had infinite resources and time?
 Which Path Is Right For You?
The only
Son of Christianity, Mormonism
Who God.
God made it. was
A
Jesus? prophet. Islam

Through an endless A teacher. Judaism

cycle of cause and
I’m not Explore traditions,
effect (no God sure. see what fits!
necessary).
How Buddhism.
Multiple
was the Gods/Goddesses
universe made it. Hinduism, Wicca, Neo-Pagan Traditions, Some
Indigenous Traditions.
created? It started from
nothing, with no The Humanist Society.
cause.
Explore traditions, see
what fits!
I’m not
sure. Unitarian Universalism.
 Which Community Supports Your
Values?
Unitarian Universalism, the United
Church of Christ, Liberal Quakerism,
Lutherans (ELCA), Episcopalians,
Presbyterian Church USA, Reform and
Yes. Reconstructionist Judaism, some
Sufism and Liberal Islam, Western Zen
or Tibetan Buddhism, Wicca and Neo-
Paganism, The Humanist Society, many
indigenous traditions.
Should
same-sex Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity
Mormonism, Baptist and other
marriage conservative evangelical Christian
No. denominations, most Sikhism, most
and abortion Muslim communities, many Asian
Buddhist communities, Conservative and
be legal? Orthodox Judaism

I’m not sure. Explore different

traditions, see what fits!
 What Worship Style Fits You?

Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity,

Yes. Episcopalians, Lutherans, Hinduism,
Tibetan Buddhism, Judaism.

Do You Like
Lots of No. Most Protestant Denominations, Zen
Buddhism, Quakerism.
Ritual?

I’m not sure. Explore different

traditions, see what fits!
 Common Unhelpful Comments
• “God doesn’t give you more than you can
handle.”
• “Don’t question God/your beliefs.”
• “If you pray hard enough, your cancer will go
away.”
• “Everything happens for a reason.”
• “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
• “Maybe this is karma/God’s punishment.”
• “What is the emotion under this
question?”
• “What is the emotion under this
question?”
• “How might I change my perspective
on God/the universe to accommodate
this new reality?”
• “What is the emotion under this
question?”
• “How might I change my perspective on
God/the universe to accommodate this
new reality?”
• “What meaning can I give this
suffering?”
“I look at my cancer journey as a gift. It made me slow down and realize the
important things in life and taught me to not sweat the small stuff.”
-Olivia Newton-John

“No matter what happens, whether the cancer never flares up again or whether
you die, the important thing is that the days you have had you will have lived.”
-Gilda Radner

“People go through challenging moments of losing people and of having illness

and real grief. But they get through it. And that’s the testament to the human
spirit… we are fragile, but we also are divine.”
-Sheryl Crow
“It did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what
life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of
life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being
questioned by life—daily and hourly… Life ultimately means taking the
responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the
tasks which it constantly sets for each individual.”
-Viktor E. Frankl

“Let me suggest that the bad things that happen to us in our lives do
not have a meaning when they happen to us. They do not happen for
any good reason which would cause us to accept them willingly. But we
can give them a meaning. We can redeem these tragedies from
senselessness by imposing meaning on them.”
-Rabbi Harold Kushner

“The purpose of having this precious human body is not simply to

achieve happiness for oneself, but to eliminate the suffering of all
other beings and to bring them happiness as well.”
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche
 Chaplains
• Code of ethics prevents chaplains from proselytizing.
• Chaplains receive special training in spiritual crisis.
• Chaplains are trained to work with individuals from
every faith tradition and none.
• In many hospitals, you can request chaplains from
different traditions, or chaplains who believe
something important to you (e.g. “I would like to speak
to a Jewish chaplain,” or “I am considering an abortion
and would like to speak to a pro-choice chaplain only.”)
• Chaplains will not meet with you after you leave the
hospital.
 Spiritual Directors
• Many spiritual directors are trained in the Catholic
tradition. However, some spiritual directors are from other
traditions.
• Spiritual directors generally focus on deepening a spiritual
path rather than resolving a spiritual crisis, but some will
have specialized experience in spiritual crisis.
• Spiritual directors will work with you over an extended
period, while most pastors, priests, and rabbis will meet
with parishioners only 3-4 times to discuss a given issue.
• It’s a good idea to ask whether a spiritual director can
support you wherever your faith journey leads (i.e. if you
decide to be part of a different faith or no faith at all).
Psychotherapists/Licensed Counselors
• Therapists have a wide range of training in
spiritual crisis—some have none, some have a
lot. Ask if you want more information about
their approach.
• Therapists are often comfortable with a non-
religious approach to spirituality.
 Suggested Reading and Resources
• Books about Spiritual Crisis/Coping With Suffering
– The Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross (Catholic)
– Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl (Secular/Jewish)
– Why Bad Things Happen To Good People by Rabbi Harold Kushner (Jewish)
– Transforming Problems Into Happiness by Lama Zopa Rinpoche (Buddhist)
– Where is God When It Hurts? By Philip Yancey (General Christian)

• Belief-o-Matic Quiz (to determine the religion that most closely reflects
your beliefs):
http://www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/Quizzes/BeliefOMatic.aspx

• Learn to meditate for free online (suitable for those with any religious
background): http://learning.tergar.org/course_library/intro-to-
meditation/
“The world breaks everyone and afterward many are
strong at the broken places.”

-Ernest Hemingway