Definition
A way of seeking meaning, an inner transformation or a relationship to what exceeds the individual, in or out of an established religion.
Spirituality can include prayer, meditation, ethical commitment, nature, art or community. This width makes the word welcoming but sometimes imprecise; it must be specified what it means in each context.
To be retained
- Specify the meaning of the word
- Distinguish Experience and Interpretation
- Assessing the concrete effects
- Letting the Non-Cruyance
Origin of the term and context
Spirituality derives from the Latin spiritualitas, associated with spiritus, "breath, spirit". His contemporary use has expanded to designate quests sometimes detached from religious institutions.
Why does it matter?
Studies explore the links between spirituality, meaning, health and adaptation, with varying results and heterogeneous definitions. A correlation does not prove a supernatural cause or benefit for each person.
- Specify the meaning of the word
- Distinguish Experience and Interpretation
- Assessing the concrete effects
- Letting the Non-Cruyance
How can it be explored or practised?
- Writing what "spiritual" means to you
- Identify the sources of your approach
- Observe whether practice increases autonomy and compassion
- Compare a testimony with a critical source
Misconceptions and points of caution
- The word can hide a commercial offer.
- An intense experience does not prove its interpretation.
- Spirituality does not replace medicine or legal protection.
Perspectives from different traditions
- Religions: relationship to God, gods, sacred or a way.
- Secular spirituality: meaning, values and interdependence without obligatory belief.
- Psychology: subjective experience studied without validating its metaphysics.
To go further
- Spirituality Today — Books in Religious Sciences
- The Varieties of Religious Experience — William James, historical text