A Rapid Review of the Interrelations Between Spirituality, Self-Transcendence, and Prosociality
Robin Weber, Smita Singh, Joanna Barlas, Maria Hennessy, Jonathan E. Ramsay
Pastoral Psychology May 18, 2026 DOI: 10.1007/s11089-026-01329-4 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractSpirituality outside religious frameworks is increasingly common worldwide and has been linked to positive personal and social effects through self-transcendence. This rapid review of 53 studies finds a consistent association between self-transcendence and prosocial behavior across various ages and cultures. However, the relationship between spirituality itself and these variables remains unclear due to many different definitions and measurement tools. Consensus on assessing spirituality is lacking because most research uses cross-sectional methods and samples from Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) countries. The review also notes that prosocial behavior and its drivers positively impact well-being.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Rapid review Cross-sectional Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 53 |
| Population | Studies related to nonreligious spirituality, self-transcendence, and prosociality across ages and cultures |
| Keywords | Intrapersonal communication Spirituality Prosocial behavior Interpersonal communication Religiosity |
| Key finding | Self-transcendence is consistently associated with prosociality, but the relation between spirituality and these variables remains unclear due to varied conceptualizations and measures. |
Abstract
Abstract It is increasingly acknowledged that spirituality often exists outside of religious frameworks, and the number of individuals identifying as spiritual but not religious is increasing around the world. Moreover, spirituality has been associated with a variety of positive intrapersonal and interpersonal effects rooted in self-transcendence. However, unlike religiosity, there have been few attempts to synthesize the literature on the relations between nonreligious spirituality, self-transcendence, and prosociality. This rapid review analyzes 53 studies related to these variables, revealing a consistent association between self-transcendence and prosociality. The review also identifies spiritual antecedents for prosocial behaviors across a broad range of ages and cultures, however, associations between these variables and spirituality remain uncleardue to an overabundance of conceptualizations and associated measures. Consensus on the assessment of spirituality has not been reached due to insufficient research beyond cross-sectional methods and samples from 'WEIRD' countries. Furthermore, the review highlights the positive impacts of prosocial behavior and its drivers on well-being.