Course and Title: IRS3E (Religions, Religious Experiences, and

Spirituality)
Professor: Rebecca R. Doctora, PhD
Philosophy and Religious Studies Department
Contact Details:
Email Address [email protected]
FB Messenger: Doc BeckyUsls
 Module1: Introduction to Religion, Religious Experiences,
& Spirituality
Duration: 6 hours

Expected Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, students are expected to:
1. Differentiate the meaning and concepts behind Religion,
Religious Experiences, and Spirituality.
2. Develop certain practices, lifestyle, habits, and attitude that
help deepen one’s search for meaning and purpose in life.
3. Engage in open dialogue with other Religions, both Christian
and non-Christian alike, in the spirit of mutual respect and
appreciation of each one’s unique contribution to the
development of humanity.
 Introduction

Building a relationship with God is a life-long process of

transformation. The key is first figuring out where your heart lies.
When we speak of the heart, we refer to our desires, passions,
and attractions. Our heart’s desires shape our choices and
preferences. They tend to determine where we invest most of
our energy, time, and talent, and other personal gifts.
Spirituality has something to do with this. It is energy, passion,
that provides a sense of meaning and purpose why we do
things in a certain way.
 ENGAGE: For many, spirituality is connected to large questions
about life and identity. Try answering the following spiritual
questions/statements below in paragraph form:

If given unlimited time, money, and resources, what

would I really want to do and achieve in my life?
What would be the purpose of my existence here on
earth?
Draw about 2-3 objects that would symbolize the
cause of my happiness and inspiration. Why do they
make me happy/inspired?
 EXPLORE:
In spirituality, the questions are:
Spirituality and Where do I personally find
Religion meaning, connection, and value?
In religion, the questions are:
1. What is right and wrong for
me? (Name 5 for each)
Dyad 2. What is true and false for me?
Sharing/Individual 3. What rituals and practices
Reflection should I follow?
EXPLAIN: Relationship Between Religion and Spirituality: The
best way to understand this is to think of two overlapping circles like this.
Where the circles overlap is the individual experience, which affects the
way you think, feel, and behave.
Relationship Between Religion and Spirituality

While spirituality may

incorporate elements of
religion, it is generally a
broader concept. Religion
and spirituality are not the
same thing, nor are they
entirely distinct from one
another.
Spirituality is a broad concept with room for many perspectives. It
includes a sense of connection to something bigger than
ourselves, and involves a search for meaning in life. It is a universal
human experience—something that touches us all. People may
describe a spiritual experience as sacred or transcendent or simply
a deep sense of aliveness and interconnectedness.
 Some may find that their spiritual
life is intricately linked to their
association with a church, temple,
mosque, or synagogue. Others
may pray or find comfort in a
personal relationship with God or a
higher power. Still others seek
meaning through their
connections to nature or art. Like
your sense of purpose, your
personal definition of spirituality
may change throughout your life,
adapting to your own experiences
and relationships.
 Experts’ Definition of Spirituality

Christina Puchalski, MD, Director of the George

Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health,
contends 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.“
 According to Mario Beauregard and
Denyse O’Leary, researchers and authors
of The Spiritual Brain, “spirituality means
any experience that is thought to bring the
experiencer into contact with the divine (in
other words, not just any experience that
feels meaningful).”

 Nurses Ruth Beckmann Murray and Judith

Proctor Zenter write that “the spiritual
dimension tries to be in harmony with the
universe, and strives for answers about the
infinite, and comes into focus when the
person faces emotional stress, physical
illness, or death.”
 Spirituality vs. Emotional Health
 Many practices recommended for cultivating spirituality are
similar to those recommended for improving emotional
wellbeing. This is because there is a connection between
the two—emotional and spiritual wellbeing influence one
another and overlap, as do all aspects of wellbeing.
 Spirituality is about seeking a meaningful connection with
something bigger than yourself, which can result in positive
emotions, such as peace, awe, contentment, gratitude,
and acceptance.
 Emotional health is about cultivating a positive state of
mind, which can broaden your outlook to recognize and
incorporate a connection to something larger than yourself.
 Thus, emotions and spirituality are distinct but linked, deeply
integrated with one another.
“You do not need to know precisely what is happening,
or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to
recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the
present moment, and to embrace them with courage,
faith and hope.”
Thomas Merton
 Why Is Spirituality Important?

There is a growing body of evidence indicating that

spiritual practices are associated with better health and
wellbeing for many reasons.
1. Contemplative practice is good for you.

Contemplative practices are activities that guide you to direct

your attention to a specific focus—often an inward-looking
reflection or concentration on a specific sensation or concept.
Many spiritual traditions have a long history of using
contemplative practices to increase compassion, empathy,
and attention, as well as quiet the mind.
 a. Meditation
can induce feelings of calm and clear-headedness as well
as improve concentration and attention. Brain researcher
Richard Davidson’s research shows that meditation
increases the brain’s gray matter density, which can
reduce sensitivity to pain, enhance your immune system,
help you regulate difficult emotions, and relieve stress.
Mindfulness meditation in particular has been proven
helpful for people with depression and anxiety, cancer,
fibromyalgia, chronic pain, rheumatoid arthritis, type
2 diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, and cardiovascular
disease.
 b. Prayer

may elicit the relaxation response, along with feelings of

hope, gratitude, and compassion—all of which have a
positive effect on overall wellbeing. There are several types
of prayer, many of which are rooted in the belief that there
is a higher power that has some level of influence over your
life. This belief can provide a sense of comfort and support
in difficult times—a recent study found that clinically
depressed adults who believed their prayers were heard by
a concerned presence responded much better to
treatment than those who did not believe.
 c. Yoga

 is a centuries-old spiritual practice that aims to create

a sense of union within the practitioner through
physical postures, ethical behaviors, and breath
expansion. The systematic practice of yoga has been
found to reduce inflammation and stress, decrease
depression and anxiety, lower blood pressure, and
increase feelings of wellbeing.
 d. Journaling

is another, often overlooked, contemplative

practice that can help you become more
aware of your inner life and feel more
connected to your experience and the world
around you. Studies show that writing during
difficult times may help you find meaning in life’s
challenges and become more resilient in the
face of obstacles.
 2. A Spiritual Community can improve your life.

Many spiritual traditions encourage participation in a

community. Spiritual fellowship, such as attending church
or a meditation group, can be sources of social support
which may provide a sense of belonging, security, and
community. Strong relationships have been proven to
increase wellbeing and bolster life expectancy, which is
perhaps why one study found a strong association
between church attendance and improved health,
mood, and wellbeing.
 3. Spiritual strength can help you overcome hardships.
 Dr. Steven Southwick’s book, Resilience: The Science of
Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges, describes how some
people overcome trauma—such as abduction, war, and
imprisonment—by seeking comfort in spirituality or religion. He
gives examples where spiritual people find ways to “meet the
challenge and continue with purposeful lives…they bounce
back and carry on.”

 Having a strong spiritual outlook may help you find meaning in

life’s difficult circumstances. Southwick describes the story of a
woman who overcame the post-traumatic stress following an
abduction and rape by believing that her trauma “served as a
platform for her personal development, forcing her to
evaluate her life and gradually change it for the better. She
credits her ability to move forward with her life…to her
dedication to spirituality.”
 The spiritual practice of recognizing
the interconnectedness of all life can
also help buffer the pain that comes
with difficult experiences. Researcher
Kristin Neff says that “if we can
compassionately remind ourselves in
moments of falling down that failure
is part of the shared human
experience, then that moment
becomes one of togetherness rather
than isolation. When our troubled,
painful experiences are framed by
the recognition that countless others
have undergone similar hardships,
the blow is softened.”
 4. Spiritual people make healthier choices.

Adhering to a particular spiritual tradition may bring an

indirect health benefit because many traditions have
rules about treating the body with kindness and
avoiding unhealthy behaviors. Research shows that
perhaps because of these tenets, people who practice
a religion or faith tradition are less likely to smoke or
drink, commit a crime, or become involved in violent
activity, and they are more likely to engage
in preventative habits like wearing seatbelts and taking
vitamins.
 5. Spirituality may help you live longer.

 An exhaustive review that compared spirituality and religiousness to

other health interventions found that people with a strong spiritual
life had an 18% reduction in mortality. Giancarlo Lucchetti, lead
author of the study, calculates that the life-lengthening benefits of
spirituality can be compared to eating a high amount of fruits and
vegetables or taking blood pressure medication. Although some
researchers have suggested that the extent of spirituality’s benefit
on health is exaggerated, most researchers agree there is a positive
relationship between religious and spiritual practices and better
health outcomes.
 6. Forgiveness is good medicine.

Letting go of blame and negative feelings after a hurtful

incident is a practice that is reflected by a number of
spiritual traditions, including Christianity, Islam, Buddhism,
and Judaism. Modern science shows the health benefits
of forgiveness are numerous: better immune function,
longer lifespan, lowered blood pressure, improved
cardiovascular health, and fewer feelings of anger or
hurt.
 Develop Your Spiritual Resources
 Nurturing and developing your spirituality may be just as
important as eating a healthy diet, exercising, and
building strong relationships. Taking the time to reconnect
with what you find meaningful in life and returning to life’s
big questions can enhance your own sense of connection
with something larger than yourself.
1. Cultivate empathy and compassion
 Empathy is the ability and willingness to fully understand
another person’s experience and connect it to your
own—for example, rather than seeing an irritable co-
worker as a nuisance, you may recognize that they are
reacting to stress in the workplace. Compassion is the
practice of responding to this realization with kindness—
because you understand why the co-worker is in a bad
mood, you respond with extra patience and listen deeply
when they complain, rather than snapping back.
 Andrew Weil, author of Spontaneous Happiness, describes empathy
and compassion as “learnable skills that can bring greater happiness
into your life and improve all of your relationships.” They are
important to spiritual development, he explains, because they help
you get out of self-centered ways of thinking and help you make
connections with others. There are many ways to develop your sense
of empathy and compassion, including:

A. Listening deeply. Let go of assumptions that others feel the way you
do, and allow yourself to fully listen to the way they describe their
experience. Prioritize what the other person has to say above what you
yourself would like to say or gain from a given conversation and just
listen.
B. Taking others’ perspectives into account. In addition to simply
listening to others, open yourself up to imagining what it would be
like to be in their shoes. How would you feel if you were in their
situation?

C. Look for the good. Positivity researcher Barbara Fredrickson

recommends boosting compassion by actively considering
others’ positive qualities. Encouraging yourself to acknowledge
the whole picture of another person will help you see them as a
complex, dynamic human who is worthy of kindness and
compassion.
 2. Identify (and live by) your beliefs and values
 Making a list of your beliefs and values will help you live with intention.
This list will be fluid, so recognize that it’s natural to shift and revise your
values throughout life. Some of the questions you may ask yourself
are:
Discover your calling
 What matters most to me?
 What drives my actions?
 What do I believe is right?
 If you need help coming up with your values, you might try a value sort
activity .
 3. Find a spiritual community and friends

Join a spiritual group, whether that is a church or

mosque, meditation center, yoga class, or a
local group that meets to discuss spiritual issues.
The benefits of social support are well
documented, and having a spiritual community
to turn to for fellowship can provide a sense of
belonging and support.
 4. Practice forgiveness

 Letting go of blame is not easy, but the rewards of relinquishing

negative feelings are aplenty. To practice forgiveness, Stanford
Forgiveness Project director Fred Luskin suggests finding the right
perspective—parsing out whether your feelings are coming from
the actual experience of someone wronging you, or whether your
anger is intensifying as you re-hash the situation. See how those
feelings are affecting you, and let go of what is not helpful. Be
gentle to yourself as well—you don’t have to re-establish contact
with the person who wronged you in order to forgive. As Luskin
says, “Forgiveness is for you and no one else.”
 5. Seek transcendence through nature, art, or music

 Spend time outside. Feeling a connectedness to nature has been linked to

decreased stress, better connections with other people, and a heightened
sense of purpose and oneness with the world. Take a leisurely walk outside
alone or with friends, or work in the garden, soaking in the details: the
expansiveness of the sky, the wind moving through the trees.
 Allow yourself to get lost in music you enjoy. Whether it’s listening to an album
on your headphones or playing the piano yourself, music can incite feelings of
connectedness, purpose, meaning, faith, and hope. Close your eyes and allow
yourself to fully immerse in the listening experience.

 Sit with a piece of art. This could be a painting in a museum, a sculpture in a

local park, or even a piece of colorful graffiti—anything that calls out to you.
Ask yourself why you are drawn to this particular piece. Do you recognize
something about yourself or some universal truth in its colors, shapes, or
textures?
 6. Be good to yourself

 Boost positivity. The nonphysical aspects of spirituality can make it feel

as if it is a remote practice, separate from the rest of your life. But this isn’t
true—spirituality, just like the other aspects of wellbeing, is profoundly
influenced by other factors in your lifestyle.
 Exercising regularly and eating a nutrient-rich diet with lots of vegetables
and fruits is one way of reminding yourself that you care deeply about
this life and this body. Paying attention to what you eat is important, too:
according to Jon Kabat Zinn, practicing mindful eating “allows you to
drop right into the knowing in ways that are effortless, totally natural, and
entirely beyond words and thinking. Such an exercise delivers
wakefulness immediately.”
 Treating yourself with compassion is just as important as treating
others well, says Kristin Neff. “When we experience warm and
tender feelings toward ourselves, we are altering our bodies as well
as our minds. Rather than feeling worried and anxious, we feel
calm, content, trusting, and secure.” The broadening effect of
these positive emotions can enhance our sense of curiosity,
wonder, and awe—all feelings that contribute to spirituality.
 7. Make contemplative practice a part of your everyday life

 The benefits of adopting a contemplative practice—such as

meditation, prayer, yoga, or journaling—have widespread effects
not just on spirituality, but on physical and emotional health as
well.
 Take yoga class or practice chair yoga at work
 Dedicate 15 minutes each day to writing in a journal
 Listen to a guided audio meditation
 Join a spiritual community, such as a church, prayer group, or
meditation center to share a contemplative experience with
others
 Eat mindfully, savouring and appreciating the food that you
have and minimizing distractions during meals
 Set aside time for prayer or reflection each day
 Try a guided body scan
 Watch a nature-guided relaxation video
 Seven Spiritual Needs

Based on more than 30 years of psychological counseling

and pastoral care, Howard Clinebell believed that
humans have seven spiritual hungers in common. As you
read through them, consider whether you recognize any
of these spiritual needs in yourself. Are there particular
areas of “spiritual hunger” in your life that need more
attention than others?
Specifically, Clinebell felt that human beings long to:

 Experience the healing and empowerment of love—

from others, self, and an ultimate source.
 Experience renewing times of transcendence—
expansive moments beyond the immediate sensory
spheres.
 Have vital beliefs that lend meaning and hope in the
midst of losses, tragedies, and failures.
 Have values, priorities, and life commitments
centered in issues of justice, integrity, and
love to provide guidance in personally and
socially responsible living.
 Discover and develop inner wisdom,
creativity, and love of self.
 Develop a deepening awareness of oneness
with other people, the natural world, and all
living things.
 Have spiritual resources to help heal grief,
guilt, resentment, unforgiveness, self-rejection,
and shame and deepen experiences of trust,
self-esteem, hope, joy and love of life.
 ELABORATE: After having understood
the difference between Spirituality and
Religion, try doing the following
exercise:
 Using the BIBLE, write down about 5 teachings that you have just
newly discovered, that were not familiar to you before. Make a brief
comment for each.
 Make a journal of you FAITH experience with God. How has been
your personal relationship with our Lord? Describe it. DO you feel
particularly close to Him? Why or why not? What do you feel when
you think of God?
 Try going to your Sunday mass or fellowship, and make a journal of
your experience. Have you honestly found God in your church?
Elaborate.
 EVALUATE: We are now at the concluding part of
our module. Let’s check out whether we have
indeed achieved the objectives we have set by
providing the information asked below.

 What new significant lessons have I learned about Religion, Religious

Experiences and Spirituality from this module?
 If I were to encounter someone who does not share the same religion
with me, and whose beliefs/practices are quite different from mine, how
would I treat that person? What would be my manner of approaching
our different views about life?
 After this module, what beliefs or practices do I need to CHANGE,
CONTINUE, and STOP? (Example: 3 beliefs/practices I need to change;
3 beliefs/practices I will continue; and 3 beliefs/practices I should STOP.
Briefly explain why you need to change, continue or stop them.)
Concluding Prayer