Exploring spirituality and consciousness with an expanded science: beyond the ego with empiricism, phenomenology, and contemplation.
L L Fahlberg, L A Fahlberg
American Journal of Health Promotion March 1, 1991 DOI: 10.4278/0890-1171-5.4.273 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Humans Consciousness Psychosomatic medicine Culture Religion Spiritualism Health promotion |
| Key points | Argues that spirituality is central to whole-person health but is poorly integrated into health education and promotion because it is conflated with denominational religion and neglected in favor of material concerns. Proposes that linking spirituality to consciousness development beyond the ego, studied through empirical, phenomenological, and contemplative methods, could enable its integration into educational and health enhancement programs. |
Abstract
Spirituality has been recognized as pivotal in health education and health promotion. Although spirituality is often discussed as a dimension of health, there is little evidence of integrating it into educational settings and health promotion programs. The difficulty in addressing the concept of spirituality is related to both its association with denominational religion and our cultural emphasis on the material realm. However, some scholars are now associating spirituality with the development of human consciousness beyond the ego level. It has been suggested that the scientific investigation of this development beyond the ego may be possible with empirical and phenomenological, as well as with traditional contemplative methods. Thus, investigation in the realms of consciousness beyond the ego can be addressed within theories of knowledge that are grounded in experience. An examination of the spirituality/consciousness relationship may be crucial for any profession that purports to address the health issues of the whole person. It may then be possible to more easily integrate spirituality into educational settings and health enhancement programs. If spirituality is part of human experience, then willingness to make forays into this dimension is fundamental to health.
Comparable studies
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|---|---|---|---|
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| From dopamine to salience to psychosis--linking biology, pharmacology and phenomenology of psychosis. | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How do the brain's time and space mediate consciousness and its different dimensions? Temporo-spatial theory of consciousness (TTC). | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The phenomenology of deep brain stimulation-induced changes in OCD: an enactive affordance-based model. | 2013 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Looking for the Self: Phenomenology, Neurophysiology and Philosophical Significance of Drug-induced Ego Dissolution | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |