RLST 1107 EL10
Essay
Done By: Sydney Paluzzi - 233310
Due Date: March 18th, 2011
Quantities of people around the world do not follow organized religions however pursue spirituality. "Spirituality refers to the unique and intense experience of a reality greater than oneself or an experience of connection with the totality of things". (Bailey, 23) An individual does not have to be religious in order to have a spiritual experience. The benefits of spirituality include humbleness, inner strength and peace, hope, sense of meaning and purpose in life, healing, acceptance of self and others, sense of harmony and serenity, gratitude and forgiveness. Although spirituality has long-been identified as one of the dimensions of wellness that one needs to keep in balance in order to maintain overall wellness, this dimension is minimized in treatment settings, although recently in the United States of America, it is being acknowledged and has been put to use.
English: Aerial photograph from the north of the M...
English: United States National Institutes of Heal...
National Institutes of Health - Clinical Center (b...This essay will identify and raise awareness regarding the importance of spirituality in the healing process.
Therapeutic problems may perhaps surface when one's life is faced with events and difficulties that lead one to existential dilemmas and examination of the human condition. The search for one's place in the larger collective has been found in religion and spirituality for many diverse communities and cultures (Walsh et al, 22). Exploring the meaning behind a painful event or coming to terms with an existential crisis are both a part of the spirituality field. Lukoff asserts that the spiritual dimensions of life reflect some of the most significant cultural aspects framing human experience. Belief system and values tend to be incorporated within a continuum of the cultural and spiritual backdrop. (Lukoff, 13) According to Stanard, treating various medical and psychological conditions may require that the assessment of one's spirituality be...