Abstract

Spiritual experiences are characterized by a sense of vitality, connectedness, and meaning. Although often experienced within a religious context, spirituality is not dependent on a religious belief system or other ideology. The psychological mechanisms that help mediate spiritual experiences are analyzed, and the relation of spirituality to anxiety and depression is examined. Spirituality, it is often claimed, is a way of knowing as well as a way of feeling; that claim is rejected. However, spirituality is related to creativity and hence to science and the acquisition of knowledge. 2012 APA, all rights reserved)