Archaeobotanical evidence of the use of medicinal cannabis in a secular context unearthed from south China.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: As one of the first plants used by ancient people, cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. The long history of medicinal cannabis use contrasts with the paucity of archaeobotanical records. Moreover, physical evidence of medicinal cannabis use in a secular context is much rarer than evidence of medicinal cannabis use in religious or ritual activities, which impedes our understanding of the history of medicinal cannabis use. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aims to provide archaeobotanical evidence of medicinal cannabis use and analyse the specific medicinal usage of cannabis in a secular context in ancient times. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Plant remains were collected from the Laoguanshan Cemetery of the Han Dynasty in Chengdu, South China, with the archaeological flotation process and were identified based on morphological and anatomical characteristics. The examination of the medicinal significance of the remains relied on the investigation of the documentation on unearthed medical bamboo slips, the diseases of the tomb occupants, the cemetery's cultural background and Chinese historical records. RESULTS: The botanical remains were accurately identified as cannabis. More than 120 thousand fruits were found, which represents the largest amount of cannabis fruit remains that have been statistically analysed from any cemetery in the world thus far. The cannabis fruits are suspected to have been used for medical purposes in a secular context and were most likely used to stop severe bleeding of the uterus and treat lumbago and/or arthralgia. CONCLUSIONS: The cannabis fruit remains reported here likely represent the first physical evidence of medicinal cannabis use for the treatment of metrorrhagia, severe lumbago, and/or arthralgia. This study emphasizes the importance of the evidence of the diseases suffered by the occupants of the tomb in determining the medicinal use of cannabis in a secular context and contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the ancient history of medicinal cannabis.

O sagrado está no todo: experiências de praticantes do (Neo)paganismo como possibilidade de encontro holístico do ser / The sacred is in the whole: experiences from practitioners of (Neo)paganism as possibilities of the being's holistic encounter / Lo sagrado está en el todo: experiencias de practicantes de (Neo)paganismo como posibilidad de un encuentro holístico del Ser

O artigo objetiva compreender as experiências dos(as) praticantes do Paganismo Contemporâneo e as relações que estes(as) possuem com suas práticas espirituais, assim como investigar como os mesmos compreendem e interagem com a natureza e como se percebem enquanto praticantes de uma crença holística. A partir de entrevistas em profundidade, com quatro praticantes do (Neo)Paganismo, pode-se analisar os discursos sobre as experiências espirituais, a partir da construção de duas categorias de análise: 1. Paganismo Contemporâneo: visão de mundo e práticas holísticas e 2. Compreendendo a Totalidade: a Natureza, o Self e a Comunidade. Pode-se apreender que a relação entre o sagrado, a natureza e a pessoa, no (Neo)Paganismo está definida pela noção de totalidade enquanto realidade na qual o mundo, os(as) deuses(as) e os seres vivos estão interligados e, por isso, entende-se que pessoa-mundo-sagrado não se separam.

This paper aims to understand the experiences of practitioners of Contemporary Paganism and the relationships they have with their spiritual practices, as well as to investigate how they understand and interact with nature and how they perceive themselves as practitioners of a holistic belief. From in-depth interviews with four practitioners of (Neo) Paganism, it is possible to analyze the discourses on spiritual experiences through two categories of analysis: 1. Contemporary Paganism: Worldview and Holistic Practices, and 2. Understanding Totality: Nature, Self and Community. The research made it possible to understand that the relationship between the sacred, nature and the person in (Neo) Paganism is defined by the notion of totality as a reality in which the living beings, the world and the gods are interconnected, and therefore it is understood that the person-world-sacred does not separate.

El artículo tiene como objetivo comprender las experiencias de los practicantes del paganismo contemporáneo y las relaciones que tiene con sus prácticas espirituales, además de investigar cómo entienden e interactúan con la naturaleza y cómo se perciben a sí mismos como practicantes de una creencia holística. Basado en entrevistas en profundidad con cuatro practicantes del (Neo)Paganismo, es posible analizar los discursos sobre experiencias espirituales, basados en la construcción de dos categorías de análisis: 1. Paganismo Contemporáneo: cosmovisión y prácticas holísticas; 2. Comprensión de la totalidad: la naturaliza, el yo, y la comunidad. Es posible aprender que una relación entre o sagrado, naturaleza y persona, en (Neo)Paganismo, se define por la noción de totalidad con respecto a la realidade, en la que el mundo y los seres vivos están interconectados. Por lo tanto, se entiende que la persona-mundo-sagrado no se separa.

Spiritual, religious, and existential concerns of cancer survivors in a secular country with focus on age, gender, and emotional challenges.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between self-reported spiritual/religious concerns and age, gender, and emotional challenges among cancer survivors who have completed a 5-day rehabilitation course at a rehabilitation center in Denmark (the former RehabiliteringsCenter Dallund (RC Dallund)). METHODS: The data stem from the so-called Dallund Scale which was adapted from the NCCN Distress Thermometer and comprised questions to identify problems and concerns of a physical, psychosocial, and spiritual/religious nature. Descriptive statistics were performed using means for continuous variables and frequencies for categorical variables. Odds ratios were calculated by logistic regression. RESULTS: In total, 6640 participants filled in the questionnaire. Among participants, 21% reported one or more spiritual/religious concerns, the most reported concerns related to existence and guilt. Having one or more spiritual/religious concerns was significantly associated with age (OR 0.88), female gender (OR 1.38), and by those reporting emotional problems such as being without hope (OR 2.51), depressed (OR 1.49), and/or anxious (OR 1.95). Among participants, 8% stated they needed help concerning spiritual/religious concerns. CONCLUSIONS: Cancer patients, living in a highly secular country, report a significant frequency of spiritual/religious and existential concerns. Such concerns are mostly reported by the young, female survivors and by those reporting emotional challenges. Spiritual/religious and existential concerns are often times tabooed in secular societies, despite being present in patients. Our results call for an increased systemic attention among health professionals to these concerns, and a particular focus on identifying and meeting the spiritual/religious and existential concerns of women, the young and those challenged by hopelessness, depression, and anxiety.

'Spirituality' in Health Studies: Competing Spiritualities and the Elevated Status of Mindfulness.

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.

Analysis of secularization in Brazil / Análise da secularização no Brasil / Análisis de la secularización en Brasil

This paper analyzes whether Brazil is experiencing a religious secularization process using data from Brazil Religion Survey conducted in 2007. Models of discrete choice are estimated to understand which individual attributes affect disaffiliation, disbelief and lack of religious practice, therefore confirming or disproving secularism hypotheses. Estimations confirm some hypotheses of the theory, for example, that having liberal opinions concerning moral and social issues is positively associated with secularism, and that lower income levels result in lower chances of disaffiliation. In addition, the profile of non-religious people, non-believers and those who do not practice religion is similar. Therefore, it is possible to affirm that there is secularization in Brazil.

Este trabalho analisa se o Brasil está passando por um processo de secularização, utilizando dados da Pesquisa sobre Religião no Brasil, conduzida em 2007. Modelos de escolha discreta foram estimados para entender quais atributos dos indivíduos afetam a desfiliação, descrença e ausência de prática religiosa, para confirmar ou refutar as hipóteses do secularismo. A estimação confirmou algumas hipóteses da teoria. Por exemplo, ter uma opinião liberal acerca de assuntos morais e sociais está positivamente associado com secularismo, enquanto níveis mais baixos de renda incorrem em menores chances de desfiliação. Além disso, o perfil dos desfiliados, descrentes e não praticantes é semelhante. Portanto, é possível afirmar que existe secularização no Brasil.

Este trabajo analiza si Brasil está pasando por un proceso de secularización, para lo cual utiliza datos de la Investigación sobre Religión en Brasil, desarrollada en 2007. Modelos de elección discreta fueron estimados para entender qué atributos de los individuos afectan la desafiliación, la incredulidad y la ausencia de prácticas religiosas, para confirmar o refutar las hipótesis del secularismo. La estimación confirmó algunas hipótesis de la teoría. Por ejemplo, tener una opinión liberal acerca de asuntos morales y sociales está positivamente asociado con el secularismo, mientras que ingresos más bajos implican menores posibilidades de desafiliación. Además, el perfil de los desafiliados, no creyentes y no practicantes es similar. Por lo tanto, es posible afirmar que existe secularización en Brasil.

Administering a two-stage spiritual assessment in healthcare settings: a necessary component of ethical and effective care.

AIM: This article delineates rationales for administering a spiritual assessment as a universal component of care. BACKGROUND: The notion that nurses should identify and address patients' spiritual needs remains controversial, particularly in the UK where criticisms derived from secularization theory have appeared in the literature. EVALUATION: To respond to these criticisms and to develop rationales supportive of spiritual assessment, I draw upon scholarship from a variety of disciplines including social work, sociology, and medicine. KEY ISSUES: Five rationales are posited to support the concept of universal spiritual assessments: professional ethics, patient autonomy, knowledge of patients' worldviews, the identification of spiritual assets, and accrediting and governmental requirements. Criticisms based on secularization theory are discussed and analysed. CONCLUSION: A two-stage spiritual assessment - consisting of a brief preliminary assessment followed, if necessary, by a comprehensive assessment - provides a mechanism to efficiently identify patients' spiritual needs. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: As key members of the healthcare team, nurse managers are ideally situated to ensure that all patients receive a spiritual assessment as a routine component of care. In so doing, they help ensure the provision of ethical and effective care to the diverse spiritual groups that will continue to populate the UK for the foreseeable future.

Do patients with chronic pain diseases believe in guardian angels: even in a secular society? A cross-sectional study among German patients with chronic diseases.

We intended to analyze whether patients with chronic diseases believe in guardian angels (GdA) as a coping resource. In a cross-sectional survey, we analyzed data from 576 German patients with chronic diseases (mean age 51.3 ± 15.4 years). We found that 56 % of the patients often or even regularly believed in GdA, with significantly more women than men believing. Particularly interesting was the fact that 38 % of patients who were identified as neither religious nor spiritual (R-S-) believed in GdAs. This belief may indicate that patients are interested in bridging the gap between the concrete struggle to manage illness and non-rational/transcendent realms.

Medicina. Brujas, demonios y exorcistas en al España del Siglo XVII / No disponible

No disponible

Religiousness, religious doubt, and death anxiety.

Terror Management Theory (TMT) (Greenberg, Pyszczynski, & Solomon, 1986) suggests that culturally-provided worldviews (e.g., religion) may protect individuals from experiencing death anxiety, and several studies have supported this position. However, if one's worldview can offer protection, doubts concerning one's worldview could undermine this protection. The current study investigated whether age, gender, religiousness, and religious doubt were associated with death anxiety. Using data from 635 younger, middle-aged, and older adults, a structural equation model with age, gender, religiousness, and religious doubt predicting death anxiety was tested. The model had a good fit (chi2 (76) = 193.467, p < .001; GFI = .961, CFI = .976, TLI = .967, RMSEA = .049) and accounted for 12.3% of the variance in death anxiety. Results were consistent with TMT, as religiousness was inversely associated with death anxiety, while religious doubt was positively associated with death anxiety.

Spiritual needs among patients with chronic pain diseases and cancer living in a secular society.

OBJECTIVE: Research has shown that several patients report unmet psychosocial and spiritual needs. While most studies focus on patients with advanced stages of disease, we intended to identify unmet spiritual needs in patients with chronic pain diseases and cancer living in a secular society. METHODS: In an anonymous cross-sectional study, standardized questionnaires were provided to German patients with chronic pain diseases (and cancer), i.e., Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ), Spirituality/Religiosity and Coping (SpREUK-15), Spiritual Well-being (FACIT-Sp), Brief Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale, Interpretation of Illness Questionnaire, and Escape from Illness (Escape). RESULTS: We enrolled 392 patients (67% women, mean age 56.3 ± 13.6 years; 61% Christian denomination) with chronic pain diseases (86%) and cancer (14%). Religious Needs (mean score 0.5 ± 0.8 on the scale) and Existential Needs (0.8 ± 0.8 on the scale) were low, while needs for Inner Peace (1.5 ± 0.9 on the scale) and Giving/Generativity were scored high (1.3 ± 1.0 on the scale). Regression analyses indicated that Religious Needs can be predicted best by (religious) "Trust," the illness interpretation "call for help," and living with a partner; Existential Needs can be predicted by "call for help" and to a weaker extent by (religious) "Trust." Existential Needs are influenced negatively by the illness interpretation "challenge." Needs for Inner Peace were predicted only in trend by the illness interpretation "threat," and there were no significant predictors for the Giving/Generativity needs in the respective regression model. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with chronic pain diseases predominantly report needs related to inner peace and generative relatedness on a personal level, whereas needs related to transcendent relatedness were of minor relevance. Nevertheless, even religious "skeptics" can express specific religious needs, and these should be recognized. Addressing patients' specific needs and also supporting them in their struggle with chronic illness remain a challenging task for the modern health care system.

Religiosity, spirituality, social support, health behaviour and dental caries among 35- to 44-year-old Jerusalem adults: a proposed conceptual model.

The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between religiosity and dental caries, and whether oral health-related behaviours, spirituality and social support are included in the potential pathways which explain the association between religiosity and dental caries. The present cross-sectional study employed a stratified sample, according to religiosity level (33.1% secular, 33.1% religious and 33.9% orthodox), of 254 Jewish adults in Jerusalem. The objective was to examine the pathway between religiosity, spirituality and social support and its effect on oral health outcomes by DMFT, controlling for socio-economic position and health behaviour determinants. Religiosity was determined and validated by self-definition. Social support was assessed by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Spirituality was estimated by the Hebrew version of the SpREUK Questionnaire for Religiosity, Spirituality and Health. The mean caries experience (DMFT) was 10.75. Secular people revealed significantly higher DMFT than their religious and orthodox counterparts (78.0 vs. 43.9 and 39.3%, respectively, p < 0.01). A conceptual logistic regression model revealed a possible pathway, wherein a higher level of religiosity was distally associated with superior dental health outcomes, mediated by high spirituality, strong social support and positive oral health behaviours. The present study identified a strong statistical association between caries experience and religiosity. The direction of the association suggested that being religious had a protective effect on caries experience. Our conceptual hierarchical approach suggests a pathway to explain the association between the level of religiosity and dental caries experience. In this study this association was mediated by extrinsic (i.e. social support) and intrinsic (i.e. spirituality) pathways.

Designing rites to re-enchant secularized society: new varieties of spiritualized therapy in contemporary Sweden.

Detraditionalization in late modernity in Western society has affected the domains of both traditional religion and clinical psychotherapy. Sweden, which is said to be one of the most secularized societies in the world, instead, has allowed the public domain to be colonized by new, spiritualized practices. Sold as therapy, the services of new spiritual leaders offer anti-stress techniques to prevent burnout, or leaders are trained to develop their leadership in coaching activities. New varieties of spiritualized therapy are rapidly increasing in contemporary Sweden, typical of which is to have added healing rhetoric to their agenda, such as "find your inner self" or "develop your inner potential." Four common denominators seem to guide these practices: self-appointed leaders, individual-centered rites, realization of one's Self, and intense emotions. We might also add a fifth aspect: profit. Rites have become a commodity and are sold as liberating practices for burnt-out souls or for people in pursuit of self-realization.

Conditions for religious discourse in secularized ethical health care deliberation.

Religious discourse is no longer self-evident in professional health care ethical deliberation in the North Atlantic cultural sphere. However, in a world of pluralism, care professionals still seek substantive views of good care. Religious and non-religious beliefs should not be excluded from ethical deliberation. They offer patients and professionals a helpful language for expressing values and beliefs. Chaplains have a role to play as allies in sense-making processes and resourcing care.

Post Christian pastoral care: the wisdom of not knowing.

Emergent religious pluralism leads many of us to reflect on pastoral care practices that have evolved mostly within the Judeo Christian tradition. This article makes public my reflections and offers ideas for a ministry of curiosity that is more conversant with an increasingly Post Christian society.

[The role of ancient astrology in preparation for a secular natural science and medicine]. / Zur Rolle der antiken Astrologie in der Vorbereitung einer säkularen Naturwissenschaft und Medizin.

The Persian period in the Near East (from c. 500 BCE) represented the first example of globalisation, during which advanced cultural centres from Egypt to Afghanistan were united under a single rule and common language. Paul Unschuld has drawn attention to a scientific revolution in the late first millennium BC, extending from Greece to China, from Thales to Confucius, which saw natural law replace the divine law in scientific thinking. This paper argues for new advances in astronomy as the specific motor which motivated changes in scientific thinking and influenced other branches of science, including medicine, just as the new science of astrology, which replaced divination, fundamentally changed the nature of medical prognoses. The secularisation of science was not universally accepted among ancient scholars, and the irony is that somewhat similar reservations accompanied the reception of modern quantum physics.

Extending religion-health research to secular minorities: issues and concerns.

Claims about religion's beneficial effects on physical and psychological health have received substantial attention in popular media, but empirical support for these claims is mixed. Many of these claims are tenuous because they fail to address basic methodological issues relating to construct validity, sampling methods or analytical problems. A more conceptual problem has to do with the near universal lack of atheist control samples. While many studies include samples of individuals classified as "low spirituality" or religious "nones", these groups are heterogeneous and contain only a fraction of members who would be considered truly secular. We illustrate the importance of including an atheist control group whenever possible in the religiosity/spirituality and health research and discuss areas for further investigation.

Ontologies of nursing in an age of spiritual pluralism: closed or open worldview?

North American society has undergone a period of sacralization where ideas of spirituality have increasingly been infused into the public domain. This sacralization is particularly evident in the nursing discourse where it is common to find claims about the nature of persons as inherently spiritual, about what a spiritually healthy person looks like and about the environment as spiritually energetic and interconnected. Nursing theoretical thinking has also used claims about the nature of persons, health, and the environment to attempt to establish a unified ontology for the discipline. However, despite this common ground, there has been little discussion about the intersections between nursing philosophic thinking and the spirituality in nursing discourse, or about the challenges of adopting a common view of these claims within a spiritually pluralist society. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the call for ontological unity within nursing philosophic thinking in the context of the sacralization of a diverse society. I will begin with a discussion of secularization and sacralization, illustrating the diversity of beliefs and experiences that characterize the current trend towards sacralization. I will then discuss the challenges of a unified ontological perspective, or closed world view, for this diversity, using examples from both a naturalistic and a unitary perspective. I will conclude by arguing for a unified approach within nursing ethics rather than nursing ontology.