Journal of Religion and Health
March 1, 2008
Yaseen Ally, Sumaya Laher
77 citations
Muslim faith healers in Johannesburg distinguish between mental and spiritual illnesses, each with its own causes and treatments, according to interviews with six healers. Islam provides a clear taxonomy that separates these conditions, and healers advise treatments accordingly. The findings suggest that Western views of mental illness should recognize culturally specific taxonomies to better understand and assist clients.
Journal of Religion and Health
December 1, 2012
Gretty M Mirdal
73 citations
Mindfulness-based therapies, which have grown rapidly in recent decades, are almost entirely inspired by Buddhist meditation, yet Islamic thought—particularly Sufism and the teachings of Rumi—offers a compatible philosophical foundation. This article highlights the common ground between mindfulness-based therapies and Rumi's religious philosophy, arguing that concepts, images, and metaphors from Rumi's universe can provide a culturally sensitive alternative for mental health support, especially for Muslim populations. The authors suggest this approach is promising for research on consciousness and for developing healing methods that resonate with clients from Muslim backgrounds.
Journal of Religion and Health
April 30, 2013
Surbhi Khanna, Bruce Greyson
52 citations
People who have had near-death experiences report greater spiritual well-being than those who came close to death without such an experience. Among 224 individuals who had come close to death, depth of spiritual well-being was positively correlated with depth of the near-death experience. Spiritual well-being was measured using the Spiritual Well-Being Scale.
Journal of Religion and Health
October 1, 2015
Anastasia Philippa Scrutton
51 citations
Some cases of schizophrenia are argued to be demon possession and treatable by faith healers. A reply raises concerns about the intellectual credibility and harmful implications of such beliefs. This paper contributes by arguing that a critique of demon possession beliefs in schizophrenia is needed, but on an alternative basis. It reflects on differences between demonic and other spirit possession and considers implications for mental healthcare providers.
Journal of Religion and Health
January 29, 2014
Marc G Blainey
44 citations
The Santo Daime religion, which uses a psychoactive beverage called ayahuasca as a sacrament, has spread from Brazil to Europe and North America. Most Western governments treat ayahuasca as a dangerous hallucinogen and prosecute participants, while members consider it a medicinal sacrament or entheogen. Empirical studies support the claim that entheogens can be safe and beneficial when used in controlled settings. Drawing on anthropology's aim to make different cultural perspectives understandable to one another, this article addresses the misunderstanding between prohibition policies and the emerging subculture of entheogenic therapy.
Journal of Religion and Health
September 1, 2013
Peter Bray
38 citations
People who have experienced loss often report psycho-spiritual experiences that lead to personal changes and psychological growth. This article presents a conceptual framework that combines two approaches to healthy growth: Lawrence Calhoun and Richard Tedeschi's post-traumatic growth model and Stanislav and Christina Grof's model of psycho-spiritual transformation. The framework acknowledges the significance of these subjective experiences and explores shared understandings about the human potential for growth in the struggle through loss.
Journal of Religion and Health
June 1, 2012
Brick Johnstone, Guy Mccormack, Dong Pil Yoon et al.
34 citations
The Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS) shows adequate convergent and divergent validity when compared with the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) Self-Transcendence subscales. In a cross-sectional analysis of 97 undergraduate and graduate students from a Midwestern university, all five BMMRS spirituality subscales correlated significantly with the TCI Mysticism scale. Two BMMRS scales—Daily Spiritual Experiences and Values/Beliefs—correlated significantly with the TCI Transpersonal Identification scale. No BMMRS spiritual subscales correlated significantly with the TCI Self-Forgetfulness scale. Among BMMRS religion scales, only Organizational Religiousness correlated with any TCI subscale (Mysticism). The findings suggest a distinct spiritual construct best conceptualized as emotional connectedness to the divine, nature, or others.
Journal of Religion and Health
January 1, 1993
Bruce Greyson
33 citations
People who have had near-death experiences report significantly more symptoms of a physio-kundalini syndrome—a set of bodily sensations linked to the spiritual concept of kundalini—than people who have not had such experiences. This finding supports the hypothesis that near-death experiences may involve the awakening of a biological process described in Eastern traditions as kundalini.
Journal of Religion and Health
March 1, 1986
J Pennachio
31 citations
Near-death experiences share many characteristics with mystical awareness. Walter Pahnke's nine-category typology of mystical experience, originally used to assess psychedelic experiences, is applied here to illustrate the mystical nature of near-death experiences. The typology also describes the self-transformation that follows mystical states of consciousness, and such self-transformation is a known result of near-death experiences. The author argues that Pahnke's typology characterizes the near-death experience and allows it to be defined as a mystical state.
Journal of Religion and Health
January 1, 1984
Steven A. McLaughlin, H. Newton Malony
31 citations
People who have a near-death experience (NDE) tend to become more religious and more active in their religion afterward, and the deeper the NDE, the larger the increase. However, how religious someone was before the NDE does not predict how deep the NDE will be. These findings come from interviews and questionnaires given to 40 people who had NDEs. Several theories about what causes NDEs are considered as possible explanations for the results.
Journal of Religion and Health
December 1, 1985
C M Bache
18 citations
Teresa of Avila's severe seizures, long considered a hallmark of her mysticism, are reassessed. The traditional diagnosis of hysteria is no longer viable because clinicians have abandoned that category. By comparing Teresa's seizures phenomenologically to experiences reported by subjects in LSD-assisted psychotherapy, and using Stanislav Grof's categories, the essay argues that the seizures are perinatal symptoms. They represent the emergence and reintegration of primitive psychological systems, described as the growing pains of transpersonal consciousness. Rather than indicating degenerative psychopathology, the seizures reflect progressive movement toward higher states of consciousness.
Journal of Religion and Health
December 1, 2024
Gemma Perry, Vince Polito, William Forde Thompson
17 citations
Twelve minutes of group chanting, either vocal or silent repetition of 'om,' reduces stress and anxiety while increasing feelings of social connection. In 34 participants randomly assigned to vocal or silent chanting, both forms significantly lowered cortisol levels and self-reported anxiety. Vocal chanting produced a greater decrease in self-reported anxiety than silent chanting, though cortisol reductions were similar. Altruism scores increased after both conditions, but there was no evidence that altruistic tendencies extended toward people from a different culture. The findings suggest chanting, regardless of vocalization, offers physiological and psychological benefits, with vocal chanting providing additional anxiety relief.
Journal of Religion and Health
February 20, 2019
Geoffrey Samuel
12 citations
Tibetan thought attributes many conditions that Western medicine classifies as psychiatric illness to an imbalance of rlung (wind, breath), a concept with dual origins in Ayurvedic medicine and Tantric Buddhism. Tibetan theories of rlung show significant correspondences with Western concepts of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), and Western medicine has also linked psychiatric issues to ANS problems. The article presents elements of both systems, explores similarities and differences, and asks whether these similarities could enable a productive encounter between Tibetan and Western approaches to understanding and treating psychiatric illness, considering what Western psychiatry might learn from Tibetan methods.
Journal of Religion and Health
December 1, 2019
Milena Nardini-Bubols, Daniele Silva Da Silva, Andrea Dos Santos-Silva et al.
8 citations
A systematic review of 14 empirical studies found that incorporating altered states of consciousness or transpersonal approaches into psychotherapy may benefit adults, mostly women, by improving treatment for substance use disorder, increasing relaxation, and relieving physical pain. The authors call for future research to use rigorous experimental designs, clearly define concepts, detail methods, and establish ethical boundaries.
Journal of Religion and Health
December 1, 2022
Andrzej K. Jastrzębski
7 citations
The concept of unconscious spirituality has not received sufficient academic attention despite appearing in psychotherapeutic theories and clinical practice. This article reviews the history and complexity of the idea, discusses the theories of James and Jung, and focuses on the less explored work of Victor Frankl. It then turns to contemporary clinical theories and proposes defining unconscious spirituality as an unperceived connection with the sacred, especially a connection with one's true self or spiritual core. The aim is to contribute to a more inclusive and universal conceptualization of unconscious spirituality.
Journal of Religion and Health
June 1, 2009
Carl Allen Hammerschlag
7 citations
A team led by an American transcultural psychiatrist and a Mexican engineer, both deeply involved with the Huichol Indians, resolved a decade-long epidemic of sorcery-induced possession among Huichol children in boarding schools. The children had become possessed by demonic witchcraft, transforming them into aggressive animals, and local shamans had been unable to treat the illness. The team integrated traditional belief and ritual with modern psychological principles to create a healing narrative, representing a cross-cultural integration of mind, body, and spirit medicine.
Journal of Religion and Health
April 1, 2025
Thomas G. Plante, David B Feldman, Jacqueline Ge et al.
6 citations
A two-week daily Examen-based practice, derived from a prayer developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola, improved university students' life meaning, satisfaction with life, and hope compared to a wait-list control group. The randomized controlled trial assigned 57 students to the practice and 58 to the control. Measures taken before, after, and at a two-week follow-up showed significant differences between groups on these three outcomes, suggesting the practice enhances global evaluations of life and future perceptions. No significant effects were found for mindfulness, compassion, stress, anxiety, or depression.
Journal of Religion and Health
October 1, 2024
Roghayeh Khabiri, Leila Jahangiry, Mehdi Abbasian et al.
6 citations
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 24 randomized controlled trials found that spiritually based interventions—including meditation, transcendental meditation, mindfulness meditation, and yoga—significantly reduced blood pressure in adults. Systolic blood pressure decreased by an average of 7.63 mm Hg, and diastolic blood pressure decreased by an average of 4.75 mm Hg. The analysis showed high variability among the studies, but the reductions were statistically significant. These results suggest that such interventions can be effective in lowering blood pressure, which may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Journal of Religion and Health
December 1, 2008
Curtis W Hart
6 citations
William James' classic work, The Varieties of Religious Experience, was shaped by his familial, religious, and cultural context, particularly the influence of his father, Henry James, Senior. A severe cardiac condition also motivated James to undertake and complete his exploration of religious experience. The essay examines The Varieties and highlights how James' use of narrative contributes to the study of mind-body medicine.
Journal of Religion and Health
January 1, 1991
Christopher M. Bache
6 citations
A model of consciousness derived from LSD-assisted psychotherapy illuminates painful experiences on the mystic's path known as the 'dark night.' The dark night experiences described in John of the Cross's Dark Night of the Soul can be conceptualized as Stanislav Grof's 'perinatal experience.' This reconceptualization has implications for understanding and evaluating mysticism, assessing LSD's potential for fostering genuine spirituality, and reassessing the ancient claim that the capacity for transcendental states is innate.
Journal of Religion and Health
February 1, 2016
Bradley Lewis
5 citations
Narrative medicine and contemplative care are two movements that aim to reform healthcare by addressing its shortcomings, yet they have developed separately with distinct literatures and practitioners. This article explores their philosophical similarities and differences, noting both movements share a diagnosis of healthcare's problems but offer related yet distinct responses. Using Margaret Edson's play W;t as an example, the author illustrates how these approaches intersect at the end of life, highlighting the potential for integration to improve patient care.
Journal of Religion and Health
March 21, 2015
Caroline Humphrey
4 citations
Spirituality that emphasizes only light and love overlooks humanity's dark side, and denying or repressing it can derail personal development, relationships, and spiritual movements. Transpersonal psychology provides tools to approach and reframe unconscious depths using metaphors of shadows and daimons, along with therapeutic practices that symbolically contain and transcend polarities. Without such integration, spirituality focused solely on holistic growth may produce the opposite of its intended effect.
Journal of Religion and Health
April 1, 2024
Karimbakhsh Kordi-Tamandani, Khalil Hakimifar
3 citations
Gowâti music therapy in Taftan, Baluchestan, is an ancient healing tradition deeply intertwined with religious beliefs, mystical ideologies, and sacrificial rituals. The study, based on interviews, active participation, and expert consultation, reveals that the ceremony's therapeutic impact is rooted in cultural and spiritual practices. Due to restricted access to private ceremonies, findings rely on anecdotal accounts and interviews with the caliph (performer). The research traces music therapy's historical connection to spirituality in ancient Iran, highlighting the unique characteristics of Gowâti music therapy as a culturally embedded form of healing.
Journal of Religion and Health
February 28, 2026
Stephen P. Lewis, Jaime Clark-Soles, Oriana Mayorga et al.
2 citations
Professional clinical chaplains, as subject matter experts in spirituality and health, are an asset to psychedelic-assisted therapies and should be utilized in research trials and clinical practice. The article argues that participants in clinical trials consistently report mystical-type experiences during dosing sessions, which may mediate clinical improvements in depression, PTSD, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Given a relative lack of training in spirituality and religion among interprofessional practitioners, chaplains can provide spiritual and emotional support, helping participants navigate non-ordinary states of consciousness with safety and insight. Competencies include spiritual and religious care, spiritual inquiry, empathic presence, ethical engagement, and advocacy. Chaplains will need specialized education and supervised experience beyond standard requirements.
Journal of Religion and Health
April 1, 2025
Lluis Oviedo, Berenika Seryczyńska, Magdalena Jelińska et al.
2 citations
Praying the Rosary is linked to moderate positive outcomes, including reduced depression, increased empathy, and lower religious struggle, based on an international sample from Italy, Poland, and Spain. The network analysis identified religiosity and religious struggle as central factors with the most connections to other variables. Qualitative responses described the prayer as a source of inner peace and a coping mechanism during distress. The study suggests that Rosary prayer may offer similar benefits to other forms of meditation and prayer, though correlations were moderate.