Journal of Religion and Health - The Consciousness Library

Perception of Gratitude During an Online Mindfulness-Based Intervention (eMBI) in Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease in Brazil: An Exploratory Qualitative Study.

Journal of Religion and Health June 1, 2026 Siliana Maria Duarte Miranda, Gabriela Patrus Ananias De Assis Pires, Eliane Viana Mancuzo et al.

Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) have an impact on patient quality of life at some point. Alternatives such as pulmonary rehabilitation, oxygen supplementation, yoga, and mindfulness practices can help in the care of patients with ILD. The current study was designed to explore the perceptions of gratitude by patients with various ILDs during an MBI. This was a qualitative study involving 50...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-024-02177-3 Full text Meditation Emotions Progressive disease Pulmonary fibrosis +2

Anton Boisen Resurrected: Prophetic Vision and the Hermeneutical Treatment of Psychosis.

Journal of Religion and Health April 16, 2026 Glenn J Mccullough

Anton Boisen (1876-1965) was a pioneering figure in the psychology of religion and pastoral psychology, yet scholars have largely overlooked his most important theoretical contributions. His unique corpus emerged from his own experience of psychosis in 1920 and his subsequent incarceration in the psychiatric system. I argued in an earlier article that Boisen was a prophet, ahead of his time,...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-026-02661-y Full text Mystical experience Anton boisen C. g. jung Clinical pastoral education +9

The Brazilian Version of the Mystical Orientation Scale Revised (MOSR-BR): An Exploratory Study.

Journal of Religion and Health March 31, 2026 Ana Cláudia Mesquita Garcia, Everson Meireles, Eliza Mara Das Chagas Paiva et al.

Mystical experiences are commonly described in the context of psychedelic use and other forms of expanded states of consciousness. Although the Mystical Orientation Scale Revised (MOSR) has been used in international studies, no Brazilian Portuguese version had been tested to date. This exploratory study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and examine the psychometric properties of the MOSR...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-026-02624-3 Full text Brazil Death transcendence Mystical orientation Psychedelic substances +1

Chaplains in Psychedelic Assisted Therapy: Rationale and Competencies

Journal of Religion and Health February 28, 2026 Stephen P. Lewis, Jaime Clark-Soles, Oriana Mayorga et al. 2 citations

The rapid expansion of psychedelic research has opened significant pathways of opportunity in treating mental health disorders. Participants in recent clinical trials consistently report mystical-type experiences during dosing sessions, and some scholars posit that such experiences themselves help mediate clinical improvements in depression, PTSD, anxiety, and substance use disorders. These...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-026-02591-9 Full text Spirituality Context archaeology Spiritual care Meaning existential +10

Spirituality and Medicine in the USA, Europe, and the UK: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Integrative Approaches to Patient Satisfaction, Quality of Life, and Health Outcomes.

Journal of Religion and Health February 1, 2026 Arbind Kumar Choudhary, R Abirami

Spiritual interventions, including meditation, prayer, mindfulness, and compassionate care, have gained increasing attention for their potential to enhance both psychological resilience and overall health. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined eight eligible studies conducted across the USA, Europe, and China to assess the impact of such interventions on key outcomes, namely anxiety...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-025-02438-9 Full text Anxiety Meditation Mindfulness Chronic illness +6

A Randomized Controlled Trial Assessing the Psychological Benefits of a Daily Examen-Based Practice.

Journal of Religion and Health April 1, 2025 Thomas G. Plante, David B. Feldman, Jacqueline Ge et al. 6 citations

This is a randomized controlled trial of an Examen-based practice, an intervention reflecting a five-step daily reflection and prayer practice developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Catholic Jesuit order. Like other practices (e.g., mindfulness, yoga), this practice can be used as a spiritual or secular intervention to help people with a variety of challenges and stressors. In this...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-025-02259-w Full text Meditation Catholic Gratitude Jesuit +2

Is the Rosary Still Relevant? Exploring its Impact on Mental Health and Well-Being: A Multinational Study.

Journal of Religion and Health April 1, 2025 Lluis Oviedo, Berenika Seryczyńska, Magdalena Jelińska et al. 2 citations

The study of benefits linked to meditation and prayer has provided a considerable amount of empirical evidence revealing their positive influence on health, coping, resilience and flourishing. The practice of praying Rosary has drawn much less attention in academic circles, even if it could probably be enlisted with other forms of meditation and prayer with similar positive effects. The present...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-025-02265-y Full text Meditation Empathy Prayer Religious struggle +1

The Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of the Relaxation, Meditation, and Mindfulness Experiences Questionnaire Utilized Among Patients with Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study in Iran.

Journal of Religion and Health April 1, 2025 Asma Najmadini, Radhwan Hussein Ibrahim, Xiaoqian Yu et al.

Mindfulness is increasingly recognized as an effective strategy for managing chronic illnesses and improving mental well-being in cancer patients. This study sought to adapt and validate a Persian version of Relaxation, Meditation, and Mindfulness Experiences Tracker Questionnaire trait month 3.1″ (P-RMMtm 3.1) for use with Iranian cancer patients. This cross-sectional study was conducted in...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-024-02154-w Full text Meditation Mindfulness Cancer Psychometric +1

Exploring the Physiological and Psychological Effects of Group Chanting in Australia: Reduced Stress, Cortisol and Enhanced Social Connection.

Journal of Religion and Health December 1, 2024 Gemma Perry, Vince Polito, William Forde Thompson 17 citations

Chanting, an ancient ritual practiced in diverse cultures and traditions worldwide, has typically been employed for meditation, healing, self-awareness, and psychological growth. However, there is little understanding of the physiological and psychological benefits of chanting, and how vocalization might contribute to such effects. This study aimed to determine whether 12-minutes of group...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-023-01967-5 Full text Anxiety Altrusim Chanting Cortisol +6

Challenge or Threat? The Effects of the Standard and a Second-Generation Mindfulness Intervention with Buddhist Practices on Cognitive Appraisals of Stress: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Experiment Performed in Switzerland.

Journal of Religion and Health December 1, 2024 Liudmila Gamaiunova, Pierre-Yves Brandt, Matthias Kliegel

Contemplative approaches rooted in Buddhist traditions have been linked to the attenuation of response to social stress. Anticipatory cognitive appraisals of social situations potentially represent a mechanism explaining the stress-reducing effects of contemplative practices. The cognitive appraisal of threat is associated with an anticipated loss of social self-esteem. In contrast, the...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-023-01964-8 Full text Contemplative practice Mindfulness Buddhist meditation Cardiovascular response +4

Exploring the Transformative Aftereffects of Religious Experiences on Pilgrims Along the Camino de Santiago in Spain.

Journal of Religion and Health December 1, 2024 Snežana Brumec, Piotr Roszak

This study examines religious experiences (REs) and their transformative aftereffects (TAs) among pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago. Analyzing 32 travelogue testimonies and survey data from 501 participants, it identifies three key dimensions of post-RE transformations: heightened Unity and Love, a strong commitment to the Apostolic Mission, and expanded Spirituality, Wisdom, and Detachment....

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-024-02127-z Full text Camino de santiago Pilgrimage Religious experience Spirituality +1

Spiritually Based Interventions for High Blood Pressure: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Journal of Religion and Health October 1, 2024 Roghayeh Khabiri, Leila Jahangiry, Mehdi Abbasian et al. 6 citations

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of spiritually based interventions on blood pressure (BP) among adults. A systematic search was performed using the PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane databases to identify studies evaluating spiritual interventions, including meditation, transcendental meditation, mindfulness meditation, and yoga, for high BP among adults...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-024-02034-3 Full text Meditation Blood pressure Spiritually based intervention Yoga

Gowâti Music Therapy: An Ancient Healing Tradition in Taftan, Baluchestan.

Journal of Religion and Health April 1, 2024 Karimbakhsh Kordi-Tamandani, Khalil Hakimifar 3 citations

This research delves into the ancient healing tradition of Gowâti music therapy in Taftan, Baluchestan, with a focus on the cultural beliefs and practices surrounding the Gowâti ceremony. The manuscript also highlights the historical connection between music and spirituality, tracing the roots of music therapy back to ancient Iran. The study is based on a combination of interviews, active...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-023-01971-9 Full text Music therapy Sacrificial rituals Taftan The caliph +1

Antinociceptive Efficacy of Shamanic Healing for the Management of Temporomandibular Disorders: An Evidence-Based Review.

Journal of Religion and Health April 1, 2024 Atheer Ganem, P Emile Rossouw, Dimitrios Michelogiannakis et al. 1 citation

The aim of this evidence-based review was to assess the antinociceptive efficacy of shamanic healing (SH) for management of temporomandibular disorders (TMD). The addressed focused question was "Is SH effective for the management of TMD?" Indexed databases were searched without time and language restrictions up to and including January 2023 using the following keywords: "disc displacement...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-023-01844-1 Full text Shamanic Disc displacement disorders Healing Inflammation +3

Nothingness, Oneness, and Infinity: Transcendent Experience as a Promising Frontier for Religion and Health Research.

Journal of Religion and Health June 1, 2023 Jeff Levin

This paper advocates for a renewed focus into the experiential domain of religious and spiritual expression in research on physical and mental health. Most studies, up to now, have investigated risk or protection associated with behavioral measures of religiousness, whether public behaviors such as religious attendance or private behaviors such as personal prayer. Religious attitudes, beliefs,...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-023-01740-8 Full text Health Religion Spirituality Transcendence

Anton Boisen Reconsidered: Psychiatric Survivor and Mad Prophet.

Journal of Religion and Health February 1, 2023 Glenn J Mccullough 2 citations

Anton Boisen was a seminal figure in the psychology of religion and pastoral psychology, but scholars have remained skeptical about his theoretical contributions and have perpetuated the stigma surrounding his psychiatric diagnosis and incarceration. I argue that Boisen was a prophet, ahead of his time, and that the academy has been slow to hear his salient critiques of the psychiatric system,...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-022-01697-0 Full text Mystical experience Anti-psychiatry Anton boisen Clinical pastoral education +6

Unconscious Spirituality: Toward a Contemporary Conceptualization

Journal of Religion and Health December 1, 2022 Andrzej K. Jastrzębski 7 citations

Until now, the concept of unconscious spirituality has not received sufficient academic attention. Despite the fact that it surfaces now and then in various psychotherapeutic theories and clinical practice, it lacks appropriate conceptualization. The aim of this article is to address this issue. We shall begin with a short presentation of the history and complexity of the concept of unconscious...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-021-01320-8 Full text Unconsciousness Spirituality Connection Spiritual core +1

Imagination-Based Loving-Kindness and Compassion Meditation: A New Meditation Method Developed from Chinese Buddhism.

Journal of Religion and Health August 1, 2022 Junyi Hao, Chang Liu, Shaozhen Feng et al.

Many loving-kindness and compassion meditation methods used in psychological research are derived from Theravada and Tibetan Buddhism. Zhiyi (), a representative figure of Chinese Buddhism, proposed a different meditation method, namely, imagination-based loving-kindness and compassion meditation. The current article introduces the imagination-based loving-kindness and compassion meditation...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-021-01409-0 Full text Meditation Compassion Imagination Loving-kindness +1

Experiences and Perceived Effects of Rosary Praying: A Qualitative Study

Journal of Religion and Health June 9, 2021 Barbara Stöckigt, Florian Jeserich, Harald Walach et al. 13 citations

The aim of this study is to explore experiences and perceived effects of the Rosary on issues around health and well-being, as well as on spirituality and religiosity. A qualitative study was conducted interviewing ten Roman Catholic German adults who regularly practiced the Rosary prayer. As a result of using a tangible prayer cord and from the rhythmic repetition of prayers, the participants...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-021-01299-2 Full text

The Chinese Spiritual Coping Scale: Development and Initial Psychometric Evaluation.

Journal of Religion and Health February 1, 2021 Jiahe Feng, Yue Li, Yiwen Sun et al.

The aim of the study was to develop and psychometrically evaluate the Chinese Spiritual Coping Scale. The items in the questionnaire were written according to the study's theoretical conception and literature research. A sample of 415 participants with or without religious beliefs was used for exploratory factor analyses to select the items. In addition, another sample of 207 participants was...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-019-00970-z Full text Instrument development Reliability Religious belief Spiritual coping +1

The Altered States of Consciousness in Transpersonal Approach Psychotherapy: Systematic Review and Guidelines for Research and Clinical Practice.

Journal of Religion and Health December 1, 2019 Milena Nardini-Bubols, Daniele Silva Da Silva, Andrea Dos Santos-Silva et al. 8 citations

Transpersonal approach in psychotherapy is a controversial field, and there is a lack in scientific information. A search of Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, PsycINFO and SciELO databases using: ["Altered states of consciousness" AND "Psychotherapy"] and ["Transpersonal" AND "Psychotherapy"] in December 2017 was conducted. From 629 articles found, 14 empirical studies were analyzed....

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-019-00855-1 Full text Psychotherapy Transpersonal psychology

Muraqaba as a Mindfulness-Based Therapy in Islamic Psychotherapy.

Journal of Religion and Health August 1, 2019 Nazila Isgandarova

This article first describes Sufism, the mystical/spiritual tradition of Islam then move to define Islamic psychotherapy and the various aspects of muraqaba by providing an overview of the Sufi literature. I will also highlight how the techniques used in muraqaba can be adapted and used as mindfulness-based stress reduction, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, meditation, transcendental...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-018-0695-y Full text Body-mind techniques Islamic psychotherapy Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy Mindfulness-based stress reduction +2

Enhancing Human Cognition Through Vajrayana Practices.

Journal of Religion and Health June 1, 2019 Maria Kozhevnikov

Phenomenological studies suggest the existence of enhanced cognitive states, termed flow or peak experiences, in which specific cognitive processes (e.g., attention, perception) can be dramatically increased for limited durations. Here we review new scientific evidence that shows that specific types of meditation that developed out of certain religious traditions such as Vajrayana (Tantric...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-019-00776-z Full text Arousal Autonomic nervous system Creativity Enhanced cognitive state +2

Unbalanced Flows in the Subtle Body: Tibetan Understandings of Psychiatric Illness and How to Deal With It

Journal of Religion and Health February 20, 2019 Geoffrey Samuel 12 citations

Much of what Western medicine classifies as psychiatric illness is understood by Tibetan thought as associated with imbalance of rlung (wind, breath). Rlung has a dual origin in Indian thought, combining elements from Ayurvedic medicine and Tantric Buddhism. Tibetan theories of rlung seem to correspond in significant ways with Western concepts of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), and Western...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-019-00774-1 Full text Buddhism Western medicine Tibetan medicine Dual grammatical number +5

Near-Death Experiences in a Multi-religious Hospital Population in Sri Lanka.

Journal of Religion and Health October 1, 2018 Miyuru Chandradasa, Chamara Wijesinghe, K A L A Kuruppuarachchi et al.

Near-death experiences (NDEs) are a wide range of experiences that occur in association with impending death. There are no published studies on NDEs in general hospital populations, and studies have been mainly conducted on critically ill patients. We assessed the prevalence of NDEs and its associations in a multi-religious population in a general hospital in Sri Lanka. A randomised sample of...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-017-0442-9 Full text Near-death experience General hospital Occurrence Religion +1

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