Beyond Belief: A Beginners Guide to Cultivating Spirituality Throughout Life

Here's What's To Come

When’s the last time you felt connected to something beyond yourself? I mean truly connected. How did it feel? What was happening and what were you feeling connected to? Did this feeling come from being around others, being in solitude, in nature, doing something you love, or spontaneously? There are so many ways to connect to the world, yourself, and others, but not much guidance for making meaning of those connections. Here, I introduce a teaser to my upcoming series on spirituality as a way to understand these connective experiences that we all have, and may seek to have more of.

Many psychologists advocate for the value of spirituality during adolescence (10-18) and emerging adulthood (18-25) and beyond. As of 2020, 85 percent of American youth indicate they believe in God or a universal spirit (Pew Research Center, 2020). In addition, many teens (47%) hold a pluralistic view of religion (that many religions may be “True”) instead of an exclusionist view. With the changes in how youth approach religion, parents and older adults need to adapt to evolving ways of connecting to the world. Even though many adolescents report believing and valuing spiritual life, not much mainstream media supports this aspect of their lives. I feel this is partly because spirituality research is not discussed adequately in mainstream psychology or media, even though researchers have indicated that it has tremendous effects on social, emotional, and cognitive development throughout the second and third decades of life (King et al., 2022; Lerner, 2008; Shek, 2012).

For this series, I wanted to create a way to translate the mysterious and somewhat fringe research on the psychology of spirituality that I study to an audience of my supporters. To do this, I have created a blog series called “Beyond Belief: A Beginners Guide to Cultivating Spirituality Throughout Life”. This blog series will introduce you to important spiritual concepts, experiences, and practices that can help you make meaning of experiences that you may have had in your own life. I aim to provide an empirically based roadmap for how you can cultivate your own spiritual path, as well as, how parents can support their children in this journey.

Here's a breakdown of the blog series:

Lesson 1: An Introduction to Spirituality and Religion

Lesson 2: The Varieties of Spiritual Experiences

Lesson 3: Spirituality and Personal Growth

Lesson 4: Cultivating Your Own Spiritual Path

Lesson 5: Exploring Spiritual Practices

Lesson 6: Challenges and Criticisms of Spirituality

Lesson 7: Teaching Spirituality to Children: A Guide for Parents

How Research Informed This Blog

As part of my graduate studies, I’ve become educated about psychological research on religion and spirituality. My Masters’ advisor, Ralph Hood, is a world-renowned expert in the psychology of Religion and Spirituality. Through studying this fascinating area of research, I’ve become more aware of the profound benefits that religion and spirituality can have in our lives.

To ensure that the tips provided in this blog are evidence-based and grounded in empirical research, I've drawn from various studies on spirituality, well-being, and personal growth. These studies have examined the benefits of engaging in spiritual practices, the importance of self-reflection, the role of intuition in decision-making, and the impact of spirituality on mental health and well-being. By integrating research findings into this blog series, I aim to provide you with a solid foundation for cultivating your own spiritual path. By understanding the science behind spirituality, you can make more informed choices about which practices to incorporate into your life and how to create a spiritual routine that supports your personal growth and well-being.