Spirituality as a Therapeutic Approach for Severe Mental Illness: Insights from Neural Networks
Henderikus Knegtering, Richard Bruggeman, S. K. Spoelstra
Religions April 16, 2024 DOI: 10.3390/rel15040489 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Default mode network Meditation |
| Keywords | Spirituality Religiosity Mental health Mental illness Psychotherapist Neuroimaging Perspective graphical Social neuroscience Clinical psychology Social cognition |
| Citations | 10 |
| Key findings | Spirituality and religiosity may affect mental health through alterations in the default mode network, and both meditation and psychedelic experiences can engage related brain networks, but the integration of spirituality in psychiatry has both promise and limitations. |
Abstract
This article explores the link between spirituality/religiosity and mental health from a clinical and neuroscience perspective, taking into account the advancements in neuroimaging. Specifically, it examines how spirituality influences the treatment of mental illness, emphasizing the importance of neuronal networks in cognitive and emotional processes, with a focus on the default mode network (DMN) of the brain. The discussion explores the role of spirituality/religiosity in managing mental disorders and how alterations in the DMN may provide insight into the impact of spirituality/religiosity on mental health. By also discussing spiritual and non-spiritual meditation, as well as spiritual experiences facilitated by the use of psychedelics in psychiatry and the associated brain networks, we aim to elaborate on the importance and limitations of spirituality within psychiatry.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Brain's Default Mode Network | 2015 | Review | |
| Default Mode Network Activity and Connectivity in Psychopathology | 2012 | Review | |
| 20 years of the default mode network: A review and synthesis | 2023 | Review | |
| On the relationship between the “default mode network” and the “social brain” | 2012 | Review | |
| The default mode network and social understanding of others: what do brain connectivity studies tell us Healthy subjects, with some studies on patients with autism and psychopathy | 2014 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Psychedelics as a potential treatment for tobacco use disorder: a systematic review. Discover Mental Health September 17, 2024
- Bridging Science and Spirituality: Investigating the Effects of OM Chanting on Brain Waves Sakarya University Journal of Computer and Information Sciences October 13, 2025
- A Short Spirituality Scale Grounded in the Bhagavad Gita: Development and Validation in India. Journal of Religion and Health September 27, 2026
Cites 21
- Experience sampling during fMRI reveals default network and executive system contributions to mind wandering. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences May 26, 2009
- 20 years of the default mode network: A review and synthesis Neuron May 10, 2023
- Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms. Scientific Reports October 13, 2017
- The Subjective Effects of Psychedelics Are Necessary for Their Enduring Therapeutic Effects. ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science December 10, 2020
- The Subjective Effects of Psychedelics May Not Be Necessary for Their Enduring Therapeutic Effects ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science December 10, 2020
and 16 more in the library