‘That is happiness; to be
dissolved into something complete and great.’
Willa Cather (writer)
This week’s post is about
a big topic – in the widest sense, it has to do with spirituality. As I am
aware that, just as political beliefs, the topic of religion can be divisive
and I would like to stress that the content of this post reflects what is known
about this subject in the current relevant literature, rather than representing
my own views.
Why we need something big
- Research has shown that our well-being is highly dependent on the ability to see ourselves as a part of a larger, interconnected whole.1 By dissolving the boundaries between our physical self, other people, nature or an abstract concept, we become less self-focused and - as a result - we become happier.1-5
- This process (also called self-transcendence) gives us a sense of meaning, a source of hope and provides a larger framework that we can set our life in.2 The type of this larger framework may vary: It can be the belief in our family, our closer community or our nation, other sentient beings, a God or another larger value system (even science, for example), or simply nature or the universe.1-5 This expansion of our identity and the feeling that we are part of something larger gives us the sense of interconnection. Linking ourselves to other people or larger systems/concepts is a requirement for a meaningful and purposeful life.1
- Another way to look at self-transcendence and interconnection is to see it as a cohesive narrative:1 We humans need to have the feeling that we understand who we are and what happens to us. We need to be able to tell the story of our own life and it is important that this story makes sense (at least to us!). And of course storytelling is never just about the central character: it is about how the main character relates to other people and the greater setting. In other words, telling our story is also about interlinking and forming connections. A cohesive narrative gives us security, self-esteem; it helps us to make sense of our lives and gives us orientation; and it provides the feeling of a continuation beyond the boundaries of time and distances.1 For example, we may see ourselves as a continuation of all previous members of our family or larger community throughout history. Or we may see ourselves as part of a larger current world community (e.g. through our occupation or religion).
What about spirituality?
- Sometimes, the connection to another value system is called religion or spirituality. Particularly the term ‘spirituality’ means different things to different people. Usually it is used in the sense of a’ quality that involves deep feelings and beliefs of a religious nature rather than the physical parts of life.’7 However, spirituality can also be defined more broadly. For example, there has been a consensus of palliative healthcare providers in the US defining spirituality as follows:
‘Spirituality is the
aspect of humanity that refers to the way individuals seek and express meaning
and purpose and the way they experience their connectedness to the moment, to
self, to others, to nature, and to the significant or sacred.’7
- For this post, I am using the term spirituality as defined in above consensus statement: It includes any form of (inter)connectedness and self-transcendence, which gives an individual meaning and purpose.
- Spirituality matters because it has been shown that positive spiritual beliefs improve physical illness and quality of life, whereas negative spiritual and religious beliefs can not only cause distress but also problems when dealing with physical illness.7 Furthermore a positive form of spirituality is significantly associated with a greater psychological well-being, lower level of mental illness, lower incidence of drug abuse, and more stable marriages.8 Spirituality is also associated with an increase in the positive emotions of love, gratitude and awe. Finally, when people feel emotionally connected to others, to society at large, nature or the universe, they are likely to behave more positively, and care for other people and the planet.4,5
- It has been shown, that well-being can be increased by developing a greater self-awareness and working towards self-growth.9 This increased self-awareness and self-growth can be aimed at three areas: Self-directedness (e.g. responsibility, resourcefulness), cooperativeness (e.g. tolerance, helpfulness, compassion), and self-transcendence (e.g. wisdom, spirituality). People with a high level of well-being typically score high in all 3 areas. This means that intentional cultivation of spirituality, interconnectedness and self-transcendence is associated with a higher level of well-being.9
What happens when we lose sight of something big2
- Particularly in ‘Western’ societies, we have seen a significant erosion of some traditionally very stable value systems over the last centuries, including loosening of family ties (due to higher mobility and higher divorce rates) and a decline in the belief in God. As a result, there has been a shift towards a more individualistic society where individual freedom and the right to individual choice are highly valued.
- Interestingly, this increase in individualism and focus on the ‘self’ has co-incided with a significant increase in depression.
- It has been suggested that this association may be due to the fact that when we live a very individual life with little or no connection to a larger value system, it is more likely that we feel vulnerable and helpless when facing life’s inevitable failures and disappointments, many of which are outside our control. These personal failures may then seem more catastrophic, for example because we can see them as being our fault (rather than e.g. ‘God’s will’), and the resulting helplessness and hopelessness can manifest as depression.
- By being aware of the limits of individualism, we can open ourselves more to a greater value system, which provides us with hope, comfort and meaning.
How to cultivate self-transcendence and interconnectedness
As a conclusion, evidence
suggests that we will not find well-being through exaggerated individualism,
selfish behaviour, self-preoccupation, or by pursuing superficial pleasures or
bodily comforts. Rather, we need to find an appropriate balance between us as
an individual and being ‘dissolved into something complete and great’.1
There are several ways we
can cultivate spirituality. Of course we can simply try to identify and practically
engage with something big, which resonates with us (such as other people, value
systems, nature etc.).1-5,9 We can also identify connections in our
day-to-day life, for example when eating we can think about where the food has
come from, and how many people have been involved in the process for us to be
able to eat.
Another way of increasing
self-transcendence and interconnectedness is through contemplation and
meditation. Particularly certain types of mindfulness meditations (for example
the loving-kindness meditation) have been shown to increase our feeling of
interconnectedness.4
…and what about religion and well-being?
Although I am not
religious myself, I have some interest in the various religious concepts. And
just in case that you have also often wondered if religious people have a
higher level of well-being, here are some answers to the question:4,5
- Although it has been recognized that religious beliefs have motivated wars, genocide and intolerance, there are many aspects of religion, which can increase well-being. For example, all major religions capture important ideas about living a good life, promoting pro-social behaviour such as kindness, compassion, gratitude, forgiveness and hope, and they tend to discourage egoism, selfishness and self-centeredness. As regular blog followers will know by now, compassion, gratitude and forgiveness are all associated with a higher level of well-being.
- However, although many studies demonstrate that religious people are happier on average, the difference is often very small, and it does not apply across all communities, countries and cultures. For example, people who believe in the existence of hell (rather than just heaven alone) and in a hateful/revengeful God are less likely to be happy. Also, focusing on sin and hate makes people less happy.
- Factors which have been shown to specifically promote well-being in association with religion include:
- Offering comforting beliefs (particularly when dealing with death)
- If the religion or specific community provides social support within the congregation and offers this to people outside the closer religious community.
- Offering a way of self-transcendence, meaning and belonging: In line with the main topic of this post, joining a movement with a history, shared with many contemporary and historic people and with international connections promotes well-being as it provides membership to a cohesive group as well as a larger value system.
- Self-esteem and increased significance: Many religions teach that every individual life is important and precious but without encouraging outright individualism.
- Experience of rituals: sights, smells and sounds of specific religious practices can be experienced as fascinating, aesthetic and evoke feelings of awe.
- Prayers and some religious practices can have a meditative quality, even if they are not specifically considered to be meditations.
- As mentioned above, spirituality and religion can also directly evoke positive emotions
- Growing up religiously is associated with happiness even if the religious belief does not persist in adulthood. Possible causes include a sense of community, family unity and a foundation for moral reasoning/values.
Preview: As discussed above, a cohesive narrative is very
important for us. However, in order to tell a conclusive story about ourselves
and what happened, we need reliable memories. But as you will find out next
week, our memories can sometimes be tricky business.
References and further reading:
1. Siegel
D. Mindsight: Transform Your Brain with the New Science of Kindness. Oneworld
Publications; Oxford, UK. 2011.
2.
Seligman MEP. Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life. Vintage
Books; New York. 2006.
3. Lyubomirsky S. The
Myths of Happiness: What should make you happy but doesn’t, what shouldn’t make
you happy but does. Penguin Books; New York. 2013.
4. Kabat-Zinn
J: Full Catastrophe Living: How To Cope With Stress, Pain and Illness Using
Mindfulness Meditation. Piatkus. 2013
5. Diener E, Biswas-Diener
R. Happiness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological Wealth. Blackwell
Publishing; Oxford, UK. 2008.
7. Puchalski
CM, Vitillo R, Hull SK, Reller N. Improving the spiritual dimension of whole
person care: reaching national and international consensus. Journal of
Palliative Medicine. 2014;17(5):642-656.
8. Seligman MEP. Flourish:
A New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being- and How to Achieve Them.
Nicholas Brealey Publishing; London, UK. 2011.
9. Cloninger CR.
The science of well-being: an integrated approach to mental health and its
disorders. World Psychiatry. 2006;5(2):71-76.
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