The Relationship Between Religious Attitude, Compassion and Spiritual Care in Nursing Students: The Case of Türkiye.

In the present descriptive study, we aimed to examine the relationship between the levels of religious attitude, compassion and spiritual care perception among nursing students. Data were obtained from 135 nursing students using the Socio-Demographic Diagnosis Form, the Ok-Religious Attitude Scale, the Compassion Scale, and the Spiritual Care-Giving Scale. The data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis H test, the Spearman correlation test, and the Mann-Whitney U test. A positive correlation was found between the scores of the Ok-religious attitude scale and cognition sub-dimension, emotion sub-dimension, behavior sub-dimension, god sub-dimension and compassion scale and spiritual care-giving scale scores. Furthermore, we observed that some socio-demographic, and nursing profession and spiritual care characteristics of the students affected their religious attitudes, compassion and spiritual care perception. The sub-dimension scores of compassion and awareness of sharing among female students and the mindfulness scores of students with nuclear families were high. Our data suggest that the course contents for spiritual care, which is an integral part of holistic nursing care, should be included in the nursing curriculum. Moreover, we recommend that efforts be made to maintain a high level of compassion while considering the socio-demographics of the students and their opinions on the nursing profession. Finally, the data presented here has the potential to serve as a valuable resource for the development of novel approaches to the provision of spiritual care within nursing education programs.

Depression in healthcare workers: influence of Fear of Death, Spirituality, and Religion / Depresión en trabajadores de la salud: influencia del Miedo a la Muerte, la espiritualidad y la religiosidad

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased deaths worldwide, with Argentina registering an excess of mortality from all causes of 10.6%, which has generated a considerable workload in the health sector, with workers being the most affected. One of the major consequences to which they were exposed has been the development of symptoms of depression. To observe how the variables of Fear of death, Spirituality, and Religiosity influence the possibility of developing symptoms of depression in the population of health workers, a quantitative, cross-sectional, and regression approach was used in a population of 200 healthcareworkers, with Fear of death being the most relevant explanatory variable, followed by Religiosity and Spirituality respectively to understand the model AU

La pandemia de COVID-19 ha incrementado las muertes alrededor del mundo, siendo el caso de Argentina el cual registra un exceso de mortalidad por todas las causas del 10,6%, lo que ha generado una carga de trabajo considerable en el sector salud, siendo los trabajadores los más afectados. Una de las principales consecuencias a las que estuvieron expuestos ha sido el desarrollo de síntomas de depresión. Para observar cómo las variables Miedo a la muerte, Espiritualidad y Religiosidad influyen en la posibilidad de desarrollar síntomas de depresión en la población de trabajadores de la salud, se utilizó un enfoque cuantitativo, transversal y de regresión en una población de 200 trabajadores de la salud, siendo el Miedo a la muerte la variable explicativa más relevante, seguida de la Religiosidad y la Espiritualidad respectivamente para entender el modelo AU

An Approach to Psychological Counseling from a Religious Worldview.

This article investigates counseling in a religious context while keeping human subjects' existential realities in mind. The methodology, which combines Theology and Psychology, aims to provide an alternative approach to religious counseling by overcoming religious counselors' tendency to limit human suffering to "spiritual symptoms" by utilizing religious cosmovisions structured in pre-established concepts and values. Furthermore, the approach focuses on the development of human subjects in terms of their quality of life through the spiritual and mental health pillars.

Person-Centered Mindfulness: A Culturally and Spiritually Sensitive Approach to Clinical Practice.

Mindfulness meditation is rapidly being integrated into many different forms of counseling and psychotherapy, and there is a growing evidence base for its effectiveness. It is important to understand the spiritual roots of mindfulness, and to apply it in a patient-centered manner, sensitive to the patient's own faith tradition rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, assuming that mindfulness-based practice is a purely secular approach. The philosophical underpinning of mindfulness lies squarely in the Buddhist faith tradition. Indeed, mindfulness is the 7th step on the Eightfold Path, which is the heart of Buddhist teachings. Many practitioners, however, may not realize that there are Western meditative techniques that are very similar to mindfulness and that have deep roots within Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faith traditions. Patient-centered mindfulness involves the use of mindfulness and other meditation methods that are based on the patient's own faith tradition, rather than applying Eastern forms of mindfulness claiming these are a secular approach appropriate for everyone regardless of religious beliefs, even if those beliefs are not consistent with the Buddhist religious or philosophical approach. In this article, I briefly examine the evidence for the clinical effectiveness of mindfulness meditation, and then go into greater depth on Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim forms of mindfulness or similar meditative practices, providing resources that will better equip clinicians and researchers to provide patient-centered culturally-sensitive care.

Psychology and Spirituality: Reviewing Developments in History, Method and Practice.

This paper begins with an overview of the governing principles of psychology as a discipline, and outlines the key paradigm shifts that potentially aligned with concepts of spirituality from the early twentieth century to contemporary theory. The discussion then moves to consider how research methods in psychology can contribute to understanding how spirituality is measured and described. We consider the contribution of validated surveys, and how qualitative methods can access the lived experience of spiritual phenomena. More specifically, the psychological constructs of "Flow" and properties associated with psychological capital are posited in relation to characteristics that define a spiritual experience. Finally, we draw attention to how exploration how spirituality of individuals may be addressed, and the scope for including spiritual appreciation in competencies required in psychological practice.

Multiple Mental Health Literacies in a Traditional Temple Site in Kerala: The Intersection Between Beliefs, Spiritual and Healing Regimes.

The notion of 'mental health literacy' has been proposed as a way of improving mental health problem recognition, service utilisation and reducing stigma. Yet, the idea embodies a number of medical-model assumptions which are often at odds with diverse communities' spiritual traditions and local belief systems. Twenty participants were recruited to this study consisting of mental health service users (N = 7), family carers (N = 8) and community members (N = 5) in a temple town in Kerala, South India participated in semi-structured interviews exploring the variety of beliefs and practices relating to mental health. Our findings indicate that the issue may be better understood in terms of multiple mental health literacies which people deploy in different circumstances. Even those sceptical of traditional and spiritual approaches are knowledgeable about them, and the traditional practices themselves often involve detailed regimes of activities aimed at effecting an improvement in the person's mood or condition. Therefore, we argue it is appropriate to consider mental health literacy not as a unitary universal phenomenon but instead as a mosaic of different literacies which may be deployed in different settings and in line with different experiences and which may operate in synergy with each other to enable treatment but also facilitate a sense of meaning and purpose in life.

The Challenge of Indigenous Healing for Global Mental Health.

Psychiatry and anthropology have a long relationship, and it is worth examining aspects of how that relation is carried over into the developing field of Global Mental Health (GMH). One place at which the two disciplines overlap significantly is in addressing religious phenomena and ritual performance in relation to mental health, and one of the greatest challenges for GMH is how productively to take into account forms of indigenous healing based on religion and ritual. In this paper I compare recent texts in GMH written from the standpoint of psychiatry and anthropology, observing that the psychiatric texts emphasize evidence-based determination of treatment efficacy, while the anthropological texts emphasize ethnographic understanding of treatment experience. Reconciling these two emphases constitutes a challenge to the field, attending to contextual variations in treatment events, illness episodes, phenomenological factors both endogenous and intersubjective, and sociopolitical factors both interpersonal and structural. In addressing this challenge, I propose an approach to therapeutic process that on the empirical level can facilitate comparison across the diversity of healing forms, and on the conceptual level can constitute a bridge between efficacy and experience. This approach is predicated on a rhetorical model of therapeutic process including components of disposition, experience of the sacred, elaboration of alternatives, and actualization of change that highlights experiential specificity and incremental change. Deploying this model can help meet the challenge of understanding efficacy and experience in indigenous healing, and prepare the ground for the further challenge of how practitioners of GMH relate to and interact with such forms of healing.

Effects of religion on the course of suicidality among geriatric patients with mood disorders.

BACKGROUND: A growing volume of research suggests that religion protects against late-life suicide, but it remains unclear whether effects are relevant to clinical samples, which facets of religion are most relevant, and variations over the course of mood disorders (e.g. during periods of euthymia, depression, and/or heightened suicidality). METHOD: Eighty adults aged 55-85 years with mood disorders completed assessments of religion (affiliation, service attendance, importance of religion, belief and faith in God), depression, and suicidality over time (M = 7.31 measurements over M = 727 days). We computed metrics to identify mean and maximum levels of depression and suicidality, and the number of episodes of significant depression and suicidality experienced by each participant. RESULTS: Religious affiliation and importance of religion, but not service attendance, belief, or faith in God, were associated with lower mean and maximum depression. Conversely, all facets of religion predicted significantly lower mean and maximum levels of suicidality (rs ranging from -0.24 to -0.39), and substantially less likelihood of experiencing significant suicidality during the study (ORs ranging from 0.19 to 0.33). Service attendance, belief, and faith in God predicted less suicidality even among individuals who did not affiliate with a religious group. CONCLUSIONS: Religious factors, particularly faith in God, are associated with substantially less suicidality over time among older adults with mood disorders, irrespective of religious affiliation.

Notas para decolonizar os estudos transpessoais no brasil: contribuições do pluriperspectivismo participativo / Notes for decolonizing transpersonal studies in brazil: contributions of participatory pluriperspectivism / Apuntes para la decolonización de los estudios transpersonales en brasil: aportes del pluriperspectivismo participativo

O campo dos estudos transpessoais tem avançado em diversas áreas no Brasil. Comemorou seus 40 anos com uma inserção ativa nas Instituições de Ensino Superior (IES) e uma ampliação de núcleos formativos e apoiadores de ensino, pesquisa e ações sociais, além de diálogos com o Sistema de Conselhos de Psicologia. Desafios são apresentados a partir do levantamento de uma série de questões importantes e ignoradas dentro da Psicologia Transpessoal no Brasil. Apresentamos o pluriperspectivismo participativo como possibilidade de decolonizar as matrizes eurocêntricas e estadunidenses, que dão suporte ao pensamento transpessoal brasileiro, buscando honrar nossas raízes históricas e incluir outras epistemologias e ontologias, que dão continuidade à crítica à lógica cartesiana moderna. Indicamos uma breve agenda de notas temáticas que carecem de um processo decolonizador no campo transpessoal: a) crítica às perspectivas de um pensamento hegemônico, em termos globais por meio da dominação Norte-Sul ou no campo das relações sociais; b) revisão das formas de "centrocentrismo"; c) questionamento da noção de universalismo das ciências e da ética; d) aprofundamento da análise crítica da supremacia restritiva da racionalidade formal técnico-científica em relação às formas de subjetividade, de vivências holísticas e integradoras e de valorização do corpo; e) revisão da noção de sujeito moderno desprovida da cocriação do humano com a comunidade, a história, a natureza e o cosmos.(AU)

The field of transpersonal studies has advanced in several areas in Brazil. It celebrated its 40th anniversary with an active insertion in Higher Education Institutions (HEI) and an expansion of training centers and supporters of teaching, research, and social actions, in addition to dialogues with the System of Councils of Psychology. Challenges are presented based on a survey of a series of important and ignored issues within Transpersonal Psychology in Brazil. We present participatory pluriperspectivism as a possibility to decolonize the Eurocentric and North American matrices that support Brazilian transpersonal thought, seeking to honor our historical roots and include other epistemologies and ontologies, which continue the critique of modern Cartesian logic. We indicate a brief agenda of thematic notes that lack a decolonizing process in the transpersonal field: a) criticism of the perspectives of a hegemonic thought, whether in global terms via North-South domination or in the field of social relations; b) review of the forms of "centrocentrism"; c) questioning of the notion of universalism of science and ethics; d) deepening of the critical analysis of the restrictive supremacy of the technical-scientific formal rationality in relation to the forms of subjectivity, of holistic and integrative experiences, and of valuing the body; e) review of the notion of the modern subject devoid of the co-creation of the human with the community, the history, the nature, and the cosmos.(AU)

El campo de los estudios transpersonales ha avanzado en varias áreas de Brasil. Se celebró su 40.º aniversario con una inserción activa en Instituciones de Educación Superior (IES) y una ampliación de los centros de formación y promotores de la docencia, la investigación y la acción social, además de diálogos con el Sistema de Consejos de Psicología. Los desafíos se presentan a partir de una encuesta de una serie de temas importantes e ignorados dentro de la Psicología Transpersonal en Brasil. Presentamos el pluriperspectivismo participativo como una posibilidad para decolonizar las matrices eurocéntrica y americana, que sustentan el pensamiento transpersonal brasileño, buscando honrar nuestras raíces históricas e incluir otras epistemologías y ontologías que continúan la crítica de la lógica cartesiana moderna. Indicamos una breve agenda de apuntes temáticos que carecen de un proceso decolonizador en el campo transpersonal: a) crítica de las perspectivas de un pensamiento hegemónico, ya sea en términos globales a través del dominio Norte-Sur o en el campo de las relaciones sociales; b) revisión de las formas de "centrocentrismo"; c) cuestionamiento de la noción de universalismo de la ciencia y la ética; d) profundización del análisis crítico de la supremacía restrictiva de la racionalidad formal técnico-científica en relación a las formas de subjetividad, de experiencias holísticas e integradoras y de valoración del cuerpo; e) revisión de la noción de sujeto moderno desprovisto de la cocreación de lo humano con la comunidad, la historia, la naturaleza y el cosmos.(AU)

Influence of Islamic religion and spirituality on the well-being and quality of life of cancer patients: a meta-analysis and a hypothetical model of cerebral mechanisms / Influência da religião e da espiritualidade islâmica no bem-estar e na qualidade de vida de pacientes com câncer: uma metanálise e um modelo hipotético de mecanismos cerebrais

OBJECTIVE: To systematically analyze quantitative data about the effects of religion/spirituality and the well-being/quality of life of cancer patients. The second aim was to hypothesize a neurophysiological model of the association between religion/spirituality and the brain. METHODS: This study met the PRISMA Statement and was registered at PROSPERO database. Randomized and Controlled trials investigating religion/spirituality and well-being/quality of life of cancer patients were included. Based on neuroimaging and neurophysiology studies, a neuroanatomical model was developed to hypothesize the relationship between neuroscience and religion/spirituality. RESULTS: A large effect size was found on the improvement of well-being/quality of life (SMD = 3.90 [2.43-5.38], p < 0.01). Heterogeneity was high among studies (I2 = 98%, p < 0.01). Specific regions of the brain, such as the temporal lobes, amygdalae and hippocampus, regions from the limbic system, were hypothesized to take part in the religion/spirituality phenomena and the well-being/quality of life improvement. CONCLUSION: Religion/spirituality intervention, mainly the Islamic, promotes an improvement on wellbeing/quality of life of cancer patients.

OBJETIVO: Analisar sistematicamente dados quantitativos sobre os efeitos da religião/espiritualidade e o bem-estar/qualidade de vida de pacientes com câncer. O segundo objetivo foi levantar a hipótese de um modelo neurofisiológico da associação entre religião/espiritualidade e o cérebro. MÉTODOS: Este estudo seguiu as recomendações do PRISMA e foi registrado no PROSPERO. Estudos randomizados e controlados investigando religião/espiritualidade e o bem-estar/qualidade de vida de pacientes com câncer foram incluídos. Com base em estudos de neuroimagem e neurofisiologia, um modelo neuroanatômico foi desenvolvido para hipotetizar relações entre neurociência e religião/espiritualidade. RESULTADOS: Um tamanho de efeito grande foi encontrado na melhoria do bem-estar/qualidade de vida (SMD = 3,90 [2,43-5,38], p < 0,01). A heterogeneidade foi alta entre os estudos (I2 = 98%, p < 0,01). Regiões específicas do cérebro, como lobos temporais, amídalas e hipocampo, regiões do sistema límbico, foram hipotetizadas como participantes dos fenômenos religião/espiritualidade e melhoria do bem-estar/qualidade de vida. CONCLUSÃO: A intervenção religiosa/espiritual, principalmente islâmica, promove melhora no bem-estar/qualidade de vida em pacientes com câncer.

Psychotheraputic Dimensions of an Islamic-Sufi-Based Rehabilitation Center: A Case Study.

Due to limited professional mental health facilities in Indonesia, traditional and faith-based mental health care is essential to provide an alternative treatment. This study explored the therapeutic aspects of treatment at Pesantren Tetirah Dhikr (PTD), an Islamic-Sufi-based rehabilitation center for people with mental illness and drug addiction in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. We employed a case-study method to understand the process of therapy and the theoretical ideas behind the practice. We conducted interviews with the Kyai (head of PTD), his assistants, and sixteen patients (called santri). The results of a thematic analysis revealed that the practice of dhikr was the essential therapeutic component for improving the participants' mental health. From an Islamic psychological perspective, the process of therapy at PTD was comparable with the process of purification of the soul in Sufism. This process comprised three stages: takhalli (purifying the soul from reprehensible attributes), tahalli (adorning the soul with noble and praiseworthy attributes), and tajalli (attaining of a pure soul). From a transpersonal psychology perspective, the effect of dhikr was comparable with the therapeutic benefits of meditation practice and other psychotherapy.

The emancipation of mindfulness from its religious context.

The present paper argues that if the so-called mindfulness movement is to reach its full potential it needs to emancipate from its religious context and ally itself fully with psychological science. The argument that mindfulness meditation needs a religious context for ethical reasons is untenable. Although mindfulness skills may well be used for un-ethical purposes, this applies equally to both religious (e.g., Buddhist) and secular contexts, and is best handled by an open-minded philosophical-ethical discussion. One problem with present mindfulness-based treatments and mindfulness research is that they are still partly enmeshed with Buddhist conceptualizations of the world, which are thought to represent "seeing things as they are". If the full potential of mindfulness meditation is to be understood, research methods are needed which focus on the phenomenological practices involved in terms of psychological processes such as the regulation of attention and attitudes.

Spiritual and religious competencies in psychology.

Religion and spirituality (R/S) are important aspects of human diversity that should be explicitly addressed in the field of psychology. The field has already included R/S in its definitions of multiculturalism, but while multicultural training is routinely included in doctoral level psychology course work and internship programs, it rarely includes specific training in R/S diversity. Polls of the American public indicate that religion and spirituality are important in most people's lives, and hundreds of studies demonstrate empirical links between R/S and psychological health and well-being. In clinical practice, there is evidence that clients would prefer to have their R/S addressed in psychotherapy. However, R/S issues are typically neither discussed in psychotherapy nor included in assessment or treatment planning. In research, religion and spirituality are often assessed with a single item on religious affiliation. Psychologists receive little or no training in R/S issues, in part because no agreed upon set of spiritual competencies or training guidelines exist. This article summarizes the rationale for including religious and spiritual competencies in psychology training and practice, reviews research establishing a set of religious and spiritual competencies (attitudes, knowledge, and skills) that we propose all psychologists should demonstrate, and provides practical recommendations for inquiring about religion and spirituality. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Indicators of Sensory and Intellectual Thinking Based on Clinical Psychology and Islamic Perspective and their Role in Psychotherapy and Spiritual Health: Introducing a New Model of Thinking.

Today, the field of health is not limited to physical and mental health, but is related to all aspects of life, including spirituality. Spiritual health is so important that it is suggested as the fourth dimension of health, and in the near future, it will form part of the definition of health by the WHO. According to research in clinical psychology, in addition to spiritual health, another important issue in most psychotherapy theories is the issue of thinking. Given the importance of health and thinking, so far, no model has been presented in the field of the relationship between "thinking and health". So, the purpose of the present study is introducing a new model of healthy thinking based on human soul faculties. In this study, qualitative content analysis method has been used. Indicators of sensory and intellectual thinking have been noted within research results, which are the main components of the new model of thinking. In this type of thinking model, it is argued that all human beings have powers within them that can grow, which are referred to as the faculties of the soul. The level of thinking of individuals is determined by the level of each person's soul faculties. The lowest level is sensory perception and the highest level is intellectual perception. The more a person grows from the level of sensory thinking to the level of intellectual thinking, the sources of thought error decrease and the better the health of the thinking. Also, those who have a level of intellectual thinking have a higher level of spiritual health and the lifestyle of these people is health-oriented. This is a philosophical-psychological model in which indicators of sensory thinking and intellectual deviation have been extracted from theories and texts of psychology and philosophy. The results of this study can be used in psychotherapy because research has shown that thinking, especially healthy thinking, has a very effective role in mental health and a healthy lifestyle as well as treatment of disorders.

Belief in spiritual beings scale (BSBS): development and initial validation / Escala de crença em seres espirituais (ECSE): desenvolvimento e validação inicial / Escala de creencias en seres espirituales (ECSE): desarrollo y validación inicial

Although belief in spiritual beings can be considered the main characteristic of religiosity/spirituality, a scale focused on specifically assessing this construct while remaining pertinent to people of different religious/spiritual denominations-including atheists and agnostics-is not available. In two studies, we present the process of developing the Belief in Spiritual Beings Scale (BSBS) and identify its psychometric properties. Study 1 designed 24 items, which were subsequently evaluated by a panel of judges and 24 representatives of the target population. In study 2, 1788 Brazilians of different religious/spiritual denominations answered the BSBS and five other related scales. Exploratory factor analysis found a unidimensional solution for the data, with the final version of the scale consisting of 13 items. The BSBS score correlated positively-highly or moderately-with measurements of organizational religious activity, non-organizational religious activity, intrinsic religiosity, and Western and Eastern religious beliefs. The level of belief/disbelief in spiritual beings was different among contrasting groups (i.e., religious spiritualists, non-religious spiritualists, gnostic non-spiritualists or atheists, and agnostic non-spiritualists or agnostics), and incrementally predicted almost all the participants' spiritual denominations. Given this preliminary evidence of validity, the BSBS is an interesting instrument for studies aiming to measure the general level of belief/disbelief in spiritual beings-the "soul" of religiosity/spirituality.(AU)

A crença em seres espirituais pode ser considerada a principal característica da religiosidade/espiritualidade. Contudo, parece não haver nenhuma escala que avalie especificamente esse construto e que seja pertinente para pessoas de diferentes denominações religiosas/espirituais - incluindo ateus e agnósticos. Em dois estudos, apresentamos os procedimentos de desenvolvimento da Escala de Crença em Seres Espirituais (ECSE) e a identificação de suas propriedades psicométricas. No estudo 1, 24 itens foram elaborados e posteriormente avaliados por um painel de juízes e 24 representantes da população-alvo. No estudo 2, 1.788 brasileiros de diferentes denominações religiosas/espirituais responderam à ECSE e a cinco outras escalas relacionadas. A análise fatorial exploratória encontrou uma solução unidimensional para os dados, e a versão final da escala apresenta 13 itens. O escore da ECSE correlacionou-se positivamente - de forma alta ou moderada - com as medidas de atividade religiosa organizacional, atividade religiosa não organizacional, religiosidade intrínseca e crenças religiosas ocidentais e orientais. Além disso, o nível de crença/descrença em seres espirituais foi distinto entre grupos contrastantes - i.e., espiritualistas religiosos, espiritualistas não religiosos, não espiritualistas gnósticos (ateus) e não espiritualistas agnósticos (agnósticos) - e predisse, incrementalmente, quase todas as denominações espirituais dos participantes. Em vista dessas evidências preliminares de validade, a ECSE é uma opção interessante para estudos que visam mensurar o nível geral de crença/descrença em seres espirituais - a "alma" da religiosidade/espiritualidade.(AU)

La creencia en seres espirituales puede considerarse la principal característica de la religiosidad/espiritualidad. Sin embargo, parece no haber una escala que evalúe específicamente este constructo y sea relevante para personas de diferentes denominaciones religiosas/espirituales -incluyendo los ateos y agnósticos. En dos estudios presentamos los procedimientos para desarrollar la Escala de Creencia en Seres Espirituales (ECSE) y la identificación de sus propiedades psicométricas. En el estudio 1, 24 ítems fueron elaborados y posteriormente evaluados por un panel de jueces y 24 representantes de la población objetivo. En el estudio 2, 1788 brasileños de diferentes denominaciones religiosas/espirituales respondieron a ECSE y otras cinco escalas relacionadas. El análisis factorial exploratorio se encontró una solución unidimensional para los datos, y la versión final de la escala presenta 13 ítems. La puntuación ECSE se correlacionó positivamente de forma alta o moderada con medidas de actividad religiosa organizacional, actividad religiosa no organizacional, religiosidad intrínseca y creencias religiosas occidentales y orientales. Además, el nivel de creencia/incredulidad en seres espirituales se distinguió entre grupos contrapuestos (i.e., espiritualistas religiosos, espiritualistas no religiosos, no espiritualistas gnósticos, o ateos, y no espiritualistas agnósticos, o agnósticos), y se predijo, de forma incremental, casi todas las denominaciones espirituales de los participantes. En vista de esta evidencia preliminar de validez, ECSE es una opción interesante para estudios que pretenden medir el nivel general de creencia/incredulidad en seres espirituales -el "alma" de la religiosidad/espiritualidad.(AU)

Minds, bodies, spirits, and gods: Does widespread belief in disembodied beings imply that we are inherent dualists?

Belief in beings without physical bodies is prevalent in present and past religions, from all-powerful gods to demonic spirits to guardian angels to immortal souls. Many scholars have explained this prevalence by a quirk in how we conceptualize persons, intuitively representing their minds as separable from their bodies. Infants have both a folk psychology (for representing the mental states of intentional agents) and a folk physics (for representing the properties of objects) but are said to apply only folk psychology to persons. The two modes of construal become integrated with development, but their functional specialization and initial independence purportedly make it natural for people of all ages to entertain beliefs in disembodied minds. We critically evaluate this thesis. We integrate studies of both children and adults on representations of intentional agents, both natural and supernatural, beliefs about the afterlife and souls, mind transfer, body duplication, and body transplantation. We show that representations of minds and bodies are integrated from the start, that conceptions of religious beings as disembodied are not evident in early ages but develop slowly, and that early-acquired conceptions of religious beings as embodied are not revised by theological conceptions of such beings as disembodied. We argue that belief in disembodied beings requires cultural learning-a learned dualism. We conclude by suggesting that disembodied beings may be prevalent not because we are developmentally predisposed to entertain them but because they are counterintuitive and thus have a social transmission advantage. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Implications of Tamarkoz on stress, emotion, spirituality and heart rate.

Perceived stress among university students is a prevalent health issue directly correlated with poor academic performance, poor sleep quality, hopelessness, compromised physical and mental health, high risk of substance abuse, and suicidal ideation. Tamarkoz, a Sufi meditation, may reduce the impact of stressors to prevent illness among students. Tamarkoz is the art of self-knowledge through concentration and meditation. It is a method of concentration that can be applied to any task. The method is said to discipline the mind, body, and emotions to avoid unintended distractions. Therefore, it can be used in daily life activities, such as studying, eating, driving, de-stressing or in Sufism, seeking self-knowledge. This study was an 18-week quasi-experimental design with pre-intervention, post-intervention and follow-up assessments in the experimental group, a wait-list control, and a third group that utilized the campus health center's stress management resources. Participants, university students, had no prior exposure to Tamarkoz, and there were no statistically significant differences among groups on baseline measurements. Using a generalized linear mixed model, significant increases in positive emotions and daily spiritual experiences, and reductions in perceived stress and heart rate were found in the experimental group compared to the other two groups. Tamarkoz seems to show some advantages over the usual stress management resources offered by a student health center.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Protocol Registration Date: (03/04/2018); ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03489148.