Journal of Religion and Health - The Consciousness Library

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

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

Ramakrishna and the Clinic of Paradox.

Journal of Religion and Health December 1, 2016 Paulo H C Dias, Gilberto Safra 1 citation

This study presents a clinical conception of the human being as the paradox between immanence and transcendence. Through an exposition of the clinical conceptions of Brazilian author Gilberto Safra, we search for an integral manner in which to understand mystical experience as a way to rethink the ontological conceptions inherent to clinical practice. In such perspective, we elaborate a...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-015-0131-5 Full text Mysticism Clinical psychology Psychoanalysis and religion Religious experience +1

The phenomenology of rooting.

Journal of Religion and Health September 1, 2010 Bruce Stephen Kerievsky 1 citation

This paper examines the attractions of passionate involvement in wanting particular outcomes, which is popularly known as rooting. The author's lifelong personal experience is the source of his analysis, along with the insights provided by spiritual literature and especially the work of Dr. Thomas Hora, with whom the author studied for 30 years. The phrase "choiceless awareness," utilized by J....

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-010-9334-y Full text

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

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

The initiation ritual as a model for oncology counseling.

Journal of Religion and Health December 1, 1987 L A Lorenz, F J Sullivan

This article examines the use of the initiation ritual of primitive people, described in the works of Mircea Eliade, as a model for counseling cancer patients, giving both meaning and structure to the interactions between patient and counselor. Within this model the patient's encounter with death, whether feared or actualized, can be used as impetus toward personal growth, whatever the stage of...

DOI: 10.1007/bf01533882 Full text

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Self-Compassion Scale is Not Validated in a Buddhist Sample.

Journal of Religion and Health December 1, 2016 Xianglong Zeng, Jun Wei, Tian Ps Oei et al.

The concept of self-compassion originated from Buddhism, but very little is known about the utility and functions of this concept among Buddhists. Four hundred and eleven individuals (179 Buddhists and 232 non-Buddhists) completed the survey packages using the self-compassion scale (SCS; Neff in Self Identity 2(3):223-250, 2003a. doi: 10.1080/15298860309027 ). Confirmatory factor analysis...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-016-0205-z Full text Mindfulness Buddhists Experiential avoidance Loving-kindness meditation +1

Carl Gustav Jung and Granville Stanley Hall on Religious Experience.

Journal of Religion and Health August 1, 2016 Chae Young Kim

Granville Stanley Hall (1844-1924) with William James (1842-1910) is the key founder of psychology of religion movement and the first American experimental or genetic psychologist, and Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) is the founder of the analytical psychology concerned sympathetically about the religious dimension rooted in the human subject. Their fundamental works are mutually connected. Among...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-016-0237-4 Full text Carl gustav jung Clark university Collective unconscious Cultural symbol +9

Training Emotion Cultivates Morality: How Loving-Kindness Meditation Hones Compassion and Increases Prosocial Behavior.

Journal of Religion and Health December 1, 2015 Joseph Bankard

Traditional moral philosophy has long focused on rationality, principled thinking, and good old-fashioned willpower, but recent evidence strongly suggests that moral judgments and prosocial behavior are more heavily influenced by emotion and intuition. As the evidence mounts, rational traditions emphasizing deliberative analysis and conscious decision making are called into question. The first...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-014-9999-8 Full text Compassion Emotion Intuition Loving-kindness meditation +3

Schizophrenia Patient or Spiritually Advanced Personality? A Qualitative Case Analysis.

Journal of Religion and Health October 1, 2015 Hemant Bhargav, Aarti Jagannathan, Nagarathna Raghuram et al.

Many aspects of spiritual experience are similar in form and content to symptoms of psychosis. Both spiritually advanced people and patients suffering from psychopathology experience alterations in their sense of 'self.' Psychotic experiences originate from derangement of the personality, whereas spiritual experiences involve systematic thinning out of the selfish ego, allowing individual...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-014-9994-0 Full text

Developmental Depression in Adolescents: A Potential Sub-type Based on Neural Correlates and Comorbidity.

Journal of Religion and Health June 1, 2015 Lisa Miller, Yakov A Barton

Diagnosis of depression has low reliability (kappa = 0.28) due to "covert heterogeneity," making the identification of sub-types a focus of research. Very high rates of moderate or sub-threshold depression among adolescents (35-45 % beyond the 20-25 % with MDD), prompt consideration of a potential sub-type of moderate sub-threshold depression, linked to adolescent development. Previously,...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-015-0047-0 Full text

A critical analysis of the concepts and measurement of awareness and equanimity in Goenka's Vipassana meditation.

Journal of Religion and Health April 1, 2015 Xianglong Zeng, Tian P S Oei, Yiqing Ye et al.

Goenka's Vipassana meditation (GVM), a widely applied mindfulness training system rooted in Buddhism, is currently widely used. Although the two abilities cultivated in GVM, awareness and equanimity, exhibit certain similarities with the mindfulness cultivated in mindfulness-based psychotherapies (MBTs), they are not major concerns in MBTs. While many mindfulness scales have been created to...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-013-9796-9 Full text

Revision of the Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale for measuring awareness and equanimity in Goenka's Vipassana meditation with Chinese Buddhists.

Journal of Religion and Health April 1, 2015 Xianglong Zeng, Mengdan Li, Bo Zhang et al.

Goenka's 10-day Vipassana course is a widespread mindfulness course rooted in traditional Buddhism. Awareness and equanimity are two abilities cultivated in this course that are not featured in modern mindfulness-based psychotherapies and thereby not adequately measured by current mindfulness scales. The present article analyzed the Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale (PHLMS; Cardaciotto et al. in...

DOI: 10.1007/s10943-014-9870-y Full text

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