By Andrew Nixon. Andrew is an experienced exercise physiologist from Kings County, New York.

 

Being spiritual has different meaning for different people – different structures of belief and different practice. For most people when they hear “spirituality” an association with religion is automatically triggered, and for good reason. The main paradigm of the ages has been organized religion – even with the recent surge in non-religious spiritual practice. Non-religious, or secular, spirituality has been on the fringes of society – living in the shadows of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and others for centuries. But a simple internet search will reveal secular spirituality has gained significant momentum over the last 30 to 40 years as people begin to reject the traditions of their respective places of worship. A 2012 survey done by The Pew Research Center on Religion and Public Life found that one in five adults have no religious affiliation, of those nearly 40% still considered themselves spiritual.1  This number will likely increase as time goes on it’s important to understand how religion and spirituality differ.

So, What Exactly is Spirituality?

Spirituality is the pursuit of inner peace, happiness, and the search for meaning in life. Some find spirituality through religion. Others don’t – but they still yearn for some of the same things that religion provides. But how do they accomplish this? A long walk in the woods works for some; yoga, meditation or prayer for others. It’s clear that no single method is relevant or applicable to everyone – its dependent entirely on the individual and their belief system.  An excellent definition by Christina Puchalski, MD, Director of the George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health, asserts that “spirituality is the aspect of humanity that refers to the way individuals seek and express meaning and purpose and the way they experience their connectedness to the moment, to self, to others, to nature, and to the significant or sacred.” 2 The things in your life that provide a sense of inner peace, comfort, strength, and love. Whether you actively pursue these things or not almost everyone has something – an activity or hobby – in their lives that provides that type of experience.

Spirituality & Religion: The Research

The question to ask is not whether individuals identifying as religious or spiritual live longer, healthier lives – they do. The question is why? How? What makes religious and spiritual people healthier?

It’s difficult to say, exactly. Such an extraordinary number of factors come into play and must be considered to get to the answer of this question. There are a number of theories and hypothesis as to why this happens, but a definitive scientific answer alludes us. It appears religion does have an influence on health – and a large one at that. Religion and spirituality are reported to play a major role and contribute significantly to nearly all aspects of health in those who practice it.

But are all benefits applicable to all people?

Well, that’s a good question. As you know spirituality and religion were/are practically synonymous in mainstream society – the same applies to research around the topic. Most published works do not differentiate between how their subjects practiced spirituality. The odds are that finding a cohort of secular individuals was very difficult. That being said it’s important to note that not all research findings will be applicable to all people identifying as spiritual in the same way. Some of the identified health outcomes are probably a result of the practices religious people engage in, such as diet, principles, and subsequent behaviors. But don’t worry – many of these outcomes still have implications for the many “not religious, but spiritual” in society today.

Research suggests that comfort, strength, and positive beliefs gained from religion, meditation and prayer can contribute to healing and a sense of well-being. Will this cure illness? Unlikely. But it may help you feel better, prevent other illnesses, and assist in coping with sickness or death. Health changes associated with spiritual practice tend to manifest in three main ways – physically, behaviorally, and psychologically. We’ll review each these areas in the following sections.

Physical Benefits

Spiritual practice is associated with a lowered risk of coronary heart disease, hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, Alzheimer’s and dementia, immune function, endocrine function, cancer, pain and general physical functioning. 3

The research demonstrates that out of the 19 studies available examining the relationship between CHD and spirituality, 12 reported a significant inverse relationship. In other words, religious individuals were found to have coronary heart disease at lower rates than their non-religious/non-spiritual counterparts. Similarly, when looking into hypertension and immune function in religious individuals, about 60% of studies demonstrated a similar inverse relationship. 3

Behavioral Benefits

Behavioral outcomes and tendencies found by researchers are likely a direct result of religious practice. This is because doctrines influence decisions about health and health behaviors of those who follow them. For example, in the Judeo-Christian scriptures there is emphasis on caring for the physical body as a “Temple of the Holy Spirit”. 3 This has serious implications for the behavior of the people who sincerely subscribe to this belief. If they are told to care for and nourish their physical bodies, and are discouraged to do themselves harm, it’s reasonable to believe that they will exclude themselves from some behaviors that are considered normal to others in society.

Behaviors like smoking, exercising, diet, weight, and sexual behavior all seem to be influenced positively by a person’s religion. Ninety percent of the available research showed religious individuals smoke at a significantly lower rate. This alone likely contributes to the lower incidence of cancer in the religious. The same can be said for diet and exercise, both of which religious people do more of. Clearly, a secular person will probably not see these benefits unless they too hold themselves to a similar standard. Religion is advantageous in that regard – providing healthy guidelines by which to live your life, leading to a sort of virtuous cycle of improved health.

 Psychological Benefits

“Man is not destroyed by suffering; he is destroyed by suffering without meaning” 7

-Victor Frankl, psychiatrist and renowned author, about his experience surviving the Holocaust.

It has been argued that being spiritual, or religious, might increase negative emotions through guilt of sin – leading to depression and anxiety. This isn’t corroborated by the current research. Of the nearly 450 studies to date studying depression, 13 of them demonstrated a positive correlation with religion – while more than fifty percent of the study participants were found to have lower levels of depression. Similar rates also apply to suicide, anxiety, and schizophrenia. It’s likely that the positive emotions associated with religion and spiritual practice help prevent common mental health issues. Religious individuals are cited as having improved coping skills, feelings of well-being, hope, optimism, purpose, self-esteem, and control.  These positive emotions mitigate the impact of stress on the body, preventing emotional disorders, and significantly reducing risk for disease.

Some science on stress

Stress, whether from an injury or trauma, causes an immune response in the body and creates inflammation for a short amount of time. Key mediators of this response are called proinflammatory cytokines, of which the most frequently studied are Interlukin-1 (IL-1), Interlukin-6 (IL-6), and Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF). These play a vital role in repairing tissue, resolving infection, and returning the body to homeostatis. 8 This is a normal function of the body. However, this reaction becomes problematic when the immune response is prolonged, and inflammation becomes chronic. The cytokines will promote a proinflammatory phenotype and drive the pathogenesis of conditions like asthma, chronic pain, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and neurodegeneration. 8

Research has been conducted examining the role of spirituality on these proinflammatory cytokine levels, particularly IL-6 – and the findings are particularly interesting. It’s reported that individuals attending church were half as likely to have elevated levels of IL-6. 9 Also, levels of C-Reactive Protein, an inflammatory maker associated with illness, are seen at significantly lower rates in older adults attending religious services further implying that emotional benefits associated with spirituality provide a protective effect against stress and related diseases. 6

Practical Implications

Everyone is familiar with the negative connotations that come with organized religion – prejudice, hate, aggression. Often, this dark side of religion and spirituality overshadow the important and positive benefits associated with religious practice. Individuals who identify as spiritual or religious experience all kinds of benefits to their emotional, physical, and behavioral health. Hundreds of studies have been performed over recent years showing quantifiable benefits to these aspects of life. With that evidence, it’s reasonable to suggest that secular spiritual practice can also provide some of the same benefits. The mental state and behavior encouraged by spiritual practice alone will likely result in measurable positive health outcomes. It doesn’t matter if you’re engaging in community service, volunteer work, prayer, meditation, devotional singing, reading inspirational books, nature walks, quiet time for thinking, yoga, playing a sport or attending religious services – it will have a significant positive impact on your life. Try your best to gravitate toward things that fulfill your emotional and physical needs without introducing any additional stress. Spiritual practice should not be a chore or something that feels forced – it should be your daily release. Take your time in finding what feels right and works for you

 

Works Cited

  1. Lipka, Michael. “A Closer Look at America’s Rapidly Growing Religious ‘nones’.” Pew Research Center. May 13, 2015. Accessed November 09, 2018. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/05/13/a-closer-look-at-americas-rapidly-growing-religious-nones/.

 

  1. Puchalski, C., B. Ferrell, R. Virani, S. Otis-Green, P. Baird, J. Bull, H. Chochinov, G. Handzo, H. Nelson-Becker, M. Prince-Paul, K. Pugliese, and D. Sulmasy. “Improving the Quality of Spiritual Care as a Dimension of Palliative Care: The Report of the Consensus Conference.” Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports. October 2009. Accessed November 09, 2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19807235.

 

  1. Koenig, H. G. “Religion, Spirituality, and Health: The Research and Clinical Implications.” Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports. December 16, 2012. Accessed November 09, 2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23762764

 

  1. Bai, M., and M. Lazenby. “A Systematic Review of Associations between Spiritual Well-being and Quality of Life at the Scale and Factor Levels in Studies among Patients with Cancer.” Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports. March 2015. Accessed November 09, 2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25303461.

 

  1. Tanaka, T., M. Narazaki, and T. Kishimoto. “IL-6 in Inflammation, Immunity, and Disease.” Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports. September 04, 2014. Accessed November 09, 2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25190079.

 

  1. Ironson, G., A. Lucette, E. Hylton, K. I. Pargament, and N. Krause. “The Relationship Between Religious and Psychospiritual Measures and an Inflammation Marker (CRP) in Older Adults Experiencing Life Event Stress.” Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports. August 2018. Accessed November 09, 2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29594652.

 

  1. Frankl, Viktor E. Mans Search for Meaning. Redwood City, CA: Woodside Terrace Kiwanis Club, 1980.

 

  1. Slavich, G. M., and M. R. Irwin. “From Stress to Inflammation and Major Depressive Disorder: A Social Signal Transduction Theory of Depression.” Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports. May 2014. Accessed November 09, 2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24417575.

 

  1. Puchalski, C. (2018). The role of spirituality in health care. [online] PubMed Central (PMC). Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1305900/ [Accessed 10 Nov. 2018].