'Spirituality' in Health Studies: Competing Spiritualities and the Elevated Status of Mindfulness.
Maria Nita
Journal of Religion and Health October 1, 2019 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-019-00773-2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Spiritual therapies Spirituality Secularism Religion and medicine Health Science Secularisation |
| Key points | Argues that in the public domain 'spirituality' is beginning to denote a collective practice rather than an individual search for meaning, and that in Health Studies it is commonly understood as a tool facilitating closeness and emotional exchange. Proposes that the success and elevated status of 'mindfulness' in this field points to 'competing spiritualities' despite shared understandings. |
Abstract
The article investigates discourses of 'spirituality' in the field of Health Studies, among scholarly voices and the voices of the practitioners and patients these studies reflect. It examines current trends in contemporary spirituality as well as links with debates involving science, religion and secularisation. The article argues that, in the public domain, 'spirituality' is beginning to denote a collective practice rather than an individual search for meaning. Furthermore, the article identifies some common understandings of spirituality in the context of Health Studies and health environments, such as it being a tool that can facilitate closeness and emotional exchanges. Finally, it proposes that the success and, as I will show, elevated status of 'mindfulness' in this field points to 'competing spiritualities', despite shared understandings.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 3
- Nurse Leader Mindfulness Meditation Program for Stress Management JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration March 1, 2009
- Rapid changes in histone deacetylases and inflammatory gene expression in expert meditators. Psychoneuroendocrinology November 15, 2013
- Religiosity/spirituality and health. A critical review of the evidence for biological pathways. American Psychologist January 2003