About Spiritual Wellness
An overwhelming body of scientific evidence now shows that engaging in holistic or “spiritual” activities can significantly improve health outcomes, enhancing physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing:
“Spirituality is linked with better health outcomes and patient care”
- Harvard Medical School, July 12 2022Spiritual wellness is the strongest protective factor against depression known to medical and social sciences
Bull Menninger Clinic, Fall 2013;77(4):332-48
People who are spiritual tend to live longer.
Health Psychology. 2016 Mar; 35(3):203-10
Spirituality can help to reduce the symptoms and feelings of anxiety
- Mental Health Foundation
Spiritual wellness can have a positive impact on mental health.
National Alliance of Mental Illness
People with high spiritual wellness are less likely to become addicted to substances like alcohol or drugs.
- Spirituality and Addiction, Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 18:4, 99-109
People with high spiritual wellness are less likely to be depressed.
Primary Care Companion Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, v.6(3); 2004
What counts as a “spiritual activity”?
Any activity that helps you feel more connected to “goodness” can be considered a spiritual activity. This typically includes one of three kinds of activities:
Connect with
your true self
through activities like journaling, art, music, exercise, or meditation
Connect with
other people
through acts of kindness, compassion, empathy, and charity
Connect with
something bigger
through nature practices, prayers and mantras, or other rituals
How does it work?
Brain scan data shows that spiritual activity strengthens and improves brain function. Specifically, it helps to develop a thicker parietal cortex, the part of the brain which protects against depression, substance abuse, and mental illness.
In other words, engaging in spiritual activity “exercises your brain” in ways that lead to a healthier life.
Brain scan graphics courtesy of Dr. Andrew Newberg and Dr. Lisa Miller
The benefits of spiritual activity by the numbers
Regular spiritual activity is proven to act as a “shield” against some of humanity’s biggest mental and physical health issues. People who engage in regular spiritual activity are:
80% less likely to experience Substance Dependence or Abuse
60% less likely to have a Major Depressive Disorder
50-80% less likely to attempt Suicide
70%less likely to engage in Risky behavior
Miller, L. (2016) The Spiritual Child;
The New Science of Parenting for Health and Lifelong Thriving
Case study: The US Army
Based on the growing body of scientific evidence about the benefits of spiritual practice, organizations like the U.S. Army are making spiritual wellness a core component of their health and fitness programs. Alongside physical and mental wellness, spiritual wellness is now part of the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness program.
The US Army’s FM 7-22 field manual defines spiritual readiness as “the ability to endure and overcome times of stress, hardship, and tragedy by making meaning of life experiences.”
Reducing the epidemic of suicide
Regular spiritual practice is shown to reduce the risk of Suicide by up to 80%, and this evidence is seen across different societal groups including teens, army soldiers, and minorities.
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