Prevalence of spiritual and religious experiences in the general population: A Brazilian nationwide study.

Spiritual and religious experiences (SREs) are common subjective phenomena related to the awareness of transcendence, which transforms one's perception of life, death and suffering. Despite the high prevalence of SREs worldwide, not enough studies have been conducted beyond Europe and North America. To fill this gap, this study investigates the prevalence of SREs in Brazil and their association with socio-demographic variables. This online cross-sectional study includes participants from all regions of Brazil. Sixteen SREs were investigated, being categorized into 4 groups: mystical, mediumistic, psi-related and past life/near-death experiences. Prevalence was calculated as percentages and multinomial logistic regression models were used. A total of 1,053 Brazilians were included; 92% reported one SRE in their lifetime and 47.5% experienced at least one SRE frequently. Participants reported having had at least one mystical experience (35%), one psi-related experience (27.7%), and one mediumistic experience (11%). Half the sample had "felt the presence of a dead person" and 70% experienced precognitive dreams at least once. In a multivariate analysis, SREs were associated with the female gender but showed no associations with income, education, employment status and ethnicity. Mystical experiences were associated with age 55 and older. In summary, SREs are very prevalent across different strata of the population, and deserve more attention from researchers and clinicians in order to clarify their nature and implications for mental health care and research in Brazil.

Considering the Relevance of Childhood Religious Experiences Through Centenarian Oral Histories.

The current study explored a sub-sample of 57 narrative focused on childhood religious experiences from the Oklahoma Oral History Project. Analyses identified three primary themes connected to childhood religiosity, including transmission, accessibility, and socializing. First, transmission of religiosity during childhood dependent upon a parent or grandparent. A second theme involved accessibility, which highlighted various advantages and disadvantages regarding child and family ability to attend religious services. Such opportunities and barriers were centered upon three subthemes involving rurality, transportation, and infrastructure. Finally, socializing represented a third theme. In particular, church attendance during childhood created unique opportunities for early-life socializing with family, friends, and neighbors. As a whole, key themes indicate that religiosity during childhood may be vital to the early formation of social opportunities and connections that may support positive and adaptive developmental processes in human longevity. Findings have implications relative to advancing conceptual understanding of the impact of childhood religious experience on developmental outcomes among long-lived adults.

[Endogenous depressions with religious experience]. / Endogennye depressivnye sostoyaniya s religioznymi perezhivaniyami.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the specifics of psychopathology and phenomenology of religious experience in depressed patients, for early diagnosis of mental disorders masked by a «religious facade¼, and prevention of suicidal activity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 115 patients (41 men, 74 women) with depression contained religious distress in affective disorders (38 observations) and schizophrenia (77 observations), F31.3, F31.4, F32.1, F32.2, F33.1, F33.2 and F20.0, F20.4, F21 according to ICD-10. RESULTS: According the psychopathological structure of depressive states, five types of depression were identified. The predominant type was melancholic depression (61%). Based on characteristics of religious experience, types of depressions were distinguished as follows: with congruent religious ideas of guilt and sinfulness; with the loss of «living¼ faith, God-forsakenness; with overvalued doubts about the choice of faith; and with «spiritual hypochondria¼. CONCLUSION: Mental disorders, in particular depressive states, which have a religious «facade¼ often remain unrecognized due to the specific religious content, which often leads to severe and sometimes irreversible consequences as suicidal activity. Thus, these conditions require early diagnosis and specific approaches to the treatment.

Progress or Pathology? Differential Diagnosis and Intervention Criteria for Meditation-Related Challenges: Perspectives From Buddhist Meditation Teachers and Practitioners.

Studies in the psychology and phenomenology of religious experience have long acknowledged similarities with various forms of psychopathology. Consequently, it has been important for religious practitioners and mental health professionals to establish criteria by which religious, spiritual, or mystical experiences can be differentiated from psychopathological experiences. Many previous attempts at differential diagnosis have been based on limited textual accounts of mystical experience or on outdated theoretical studies of mysticism. In contrast, this study presents qualitative data from contemporary Buddhist meditation practitioners and teachers to identify salient features that can be used to guide differential diagnosis. The use of certain existing criteria is complicated by Buddhist worldviews that some difficult or distressing experiences may be expected as a part of progress on the contemplative path. This paper argues that it is important to expand the framework for assessment in both scholarly and clinical contexts to include not only criteria for determining normative fit with religious experience or with psychopathology, but also for determining need for intervention, whether religious or clinical. Qualitative data from Buddhist communities shows that there is a wider range of experiences that are evaluated as potentially warranting intervention than has previously been discussed. Decision making around these experiences often takes into account contextual factors when determining appraisals or need for intervention. This is in line with person-centered approaches in mental health care that emphasize the importance of considering the interpersonal and cultural dynamics that inevitably constitute the context in which experiences are evaluated and rendered meaningful.

A vocação mística da psicanálise / The mystical vocation of psychoanalysis

Esse estudo pretende pensar na psicanálise enquanto uma prática clínica essencialmente compatível com certas características dos fenômenos místicos, o que lhe permite abordá-los clinicamente. Iniciamos o texto apresentando nossa compreensão de mística como um fenômeno de alteridade ontológica, ao contrário de uma produção subjetiva do ser humano. A partir disso, abordamos três características da psicanálise que a tornam relevantes para uma clínica dos fenômenos místicos: seu método apofático, sua prática de desconstrução identitária do “eu” e sua inscrição antropológica entre o universal e o particular. Finalizamos o estudo, dessa maneira, pensando na possível função clínica da psicanálise ao abordar a mística, a partir da ideia de adoecimentos espirituais.

This study intends to reflect on psychoanalysis as a clinical practice essentially compatible with certain characteristics of mystical phenomena, which enables it to clinically approach them. We start the text introducing our understanding of mysticism as a phenomenon of alterity, rather than a subjective production of the human being. Through such idea, we approach three characteristics of psychoanalysis that make it relevant for a clinic of the mystical phenomena: its apophatic method, its practice of deconstructing the identity of the “I” and its anthropological inscription between the universal and the particular. Thus, we finalize the study, thinking about the possible clinical function of psychoanalysis when approaching the mystic, based on the idea of spiritual illness.

A vocação mística da psicanálise / The mystical vocation of psychoanalysis

Esse estudo pretende pensar na psicanálise enquanto uma prática clínica essencialmente compatível com certas características dos fenômenos místicos, os que lhe permite abordá-los clinicamente. Iniciamos o texto apresentando nossa compreensão de mística como um fenômeno de alteridade ontológica, ao contrário de uma produção subjetiva do ser humano. A partir disso, abordamos três características da psicanálise que a tornam relevantes para uma clínica dos fenômenos místicos: seu método apofático, sua prática de desconstrução identitária do "eu" e sua inscrição antropológica entre o universal e o particular. Finalizamos o estudo, dessa maneira, pensando na possível função clínica da psicanálise ao abordar a mística, a partir da ideia de adoecimentos espirituais

This study intends to reflect on psychoanalysis as a clinical practice essentially compatible with certain characteristics of mystical phenomena, wich enables it to clinically approach them. We start the text introducing our understanding of mysticism as a phenomenon of alterity, rather than a subjective production of the human being. Through such idea, we approach three characteristics of apophatic method, its practice of deconstructing the identity of the "I" and its anthropological inscription between the universal and the particular. Thus, we finalize the study, thinking about the possible clinical function of psychoanalysis when approaching the mystic, based on the idea of spiritual illness

Alvars of South India: A psychiatric scanner.

Vaishnavism, the other important Hindu tradition besides Saivism, gained importance by the Bhakti movement sprouting from the Tamil land in the 7th-9th centuries Common Era and spreading all over the subcontinent, and as preached by the Alvars, which is discussed along with the evolution of the Godhead of Lord Vishnu is briefly mentioned. The maternal care of the divine child Sri Krishna by Yashodha as described by the Alvar, Perialvar, is summarized. The mysticism of Nammalvar and the religious experiences of other two Alvars, Kulasekarar and Andal, are sketched in this study.

Brain mechanisms in religion and spirituality: An integrative predictive processing framework.

We present the theory of predictive processing as a unifying framework to account for the neurocognitive basis of religion and spirituality. Our model is substantiated by discussing four different brain mechanisms that play a key role in religion and spirituality: temporal brain areas are associated with religious visions and ecstatic experiences; multisensory brain areas and the default mode network are involved in self-transcendent experiences; the Theory of Mind-network is associated with prayer experiences and over attribution of intentionality; top-down mechanisms instantiated in the anterior cingulate cortex and the medial prefrontal cortex could be involved in acquiring and maintaining intuitive supernatural beliefs. We compare the predictive processing model with two-systems accounts of religion and spirituality, by highlighting the central role of prediction error monitoring. We conclude by presenting novel predictions for future research and by discussing the philosophical and theological implications of neuroscientific research on religion and spirituality.

Saúde e Doença nas Experiências Religiosas/Espirituais: Integrando Modelos de Wilber e Cloninger / Health and Illness in Religious/Spiritual experiences: integrating Wilber's and Cloninger's Models / Salud y Enfermedad en Experiencias Religiosas/Espirituales: integración de los modelos de Wilber y Cloninger

O estudo científico das experiências religiosas/espirituais tem sido negligenciado ao longo da história da Psicologia, ocasionando uma indiferenciação destas e dos sintomas psicóticos de conteúdo religioso/espiritual. O objetivo deste artigo foi analisar e comparar duas teorias: a Psicologia Integral, de Wilber, e o Modelo Psicobiológico de Cloninger, a fim de desenvolver critérios para diferenciar saúde e doença mental em experiências religiosas/espirituais. O conceito wilberiano de "Falácia Pré-Trans" aparece enquanto chave de leitura para a diferenciação entre experiência religiosas/espirituais e transtornos mentais, aproximando-se da concepção de maturidade de caráter observada nos conceitos de autodirecionamento e de autotranscendência de Cloninger.(AU)

The scientific study of religious/spiritual experiences has been neglected throughout the history of psychology causing a lack of differentiation between them and psychotic symptoms. The objective of this study was to analyze and compare two theories: Integral Psychology, by Wilber, and the Psychobiological Model, by Cloninger, in order to distinguish health and mental illness in religious/spiritual experiences. The Wilberian concept of "Pre-Trans Fallacy" is a reading key to differ religious/spiritual experiences from mental disorders. It is similar to the conception of Maturity of Character observed in Cloninger's concepts of Self-directedness and Self-transcendence.(AU)

El estudio científico de las experiencias religiosas/espirituales ha sido descuidado a lo largo de la historia de la Psicología causando una indiferencia de éstas y de los síntomas psicóticos de contenido religioso/espiritual. El objetivo de este artículo fue analizar y comparar dos teorías: la Psicología Integral, de Wilber, y el Modelo Psicobiológico de Cloninger, con el fin de desarrollar criterios para diferenciar salud y enfermedad mental en experiencias religiosas/espirituales. El concepto Wilberiano de "Falacia Pre-Trans" aparece como clave de lectura para la diferenciación entre la experiencia religiosa/espiritual y los trastornos mentales, acercándose a la concepción de madurez de carácter observada en los conceptos de Autodirección y Autotrascendencia de Cloninger.(AU)

Faith Pinnacle Moments: Stress, Miraculous Experiences, and Life Satisfaction in Young Adulthood.

Religious beliefs often persist among unaffiliated young adults, and certain beliefs about God have been shown to support subjective well-being. Yet we know much less about the persistence or psychological impact of religious experiences, specifically miracles from God. I conceive of such experiences as faith pinnacle moments which express and reinvigorate the individual's reciprocal bond with God, frequently occur in response to certain types of stress, and support well-being by solidifying one's sense of that bond. My results show that net of institutional religiosity, young adults who experience stress from traumas are more likely to report miracles. This suggests that these reports often refer to healings or similar interventions. Stress from family breakups, however, is negatively correlated with miracles, presumably since these disruptions damage the bond with God due to the established connection between parental relationships and perceived relationship with God. Finally, miracles are positively correlated with life satisfaction and partially protect against the negative effects of stress on life satisfaction.

Identidade judaica: considerações psicológicas acerca da dimensão religiosa / Jewish identity: psychological considerations about religious dimension

O estudo compreendeu considerações psicológicas acerca de aspectos religiosos presentes no delineamento da identidade judaica. Foram elaborados comentários relativos à condição de ser israelita, aos pontos de aproximação entre psicologia e religião, à teoria referente ao desenvolvimento religioso e, por fim, aos dez mandamentos existentes na Torá. A dimensão religiosa é aqui compreendida sendo composta por aspectos racionais, emocionais e atitudinais direcionados à presença de um poder divino e capaz de desempenhar funções espirituais e sociais que convidariam o ser humano a refletir sobre questões intrapessoais, interpessoais e transcendentais. A identidade judaica pareceu reunir características singulares e compartilhadas entre israelitas, uma vez que cada pessoa pode revelar senso, experiência, inquietação e grau de enraizamento religiosos distintos.

This study encloses the psychological considerations about religious aspects in Jewish identity delineation. Commentaries has been developed about the condition of being an Israeli, the closest aspects between psychology and religion, the religious development theory, and Torah's. Ten Commandments The religious dimension is composed by rational, emotional and attitudinal aspects oriented to the presence of a divine power, that is able to play spiritual and social functions. These functions may drive people to reflect about personal, interpersonal and transcendental concerns. Jewish identity has included Israelis' singular and public features, as each person can reveal a particular religious sense, experience, uneasiness.