Spirituality and Well-Being

Theory, Science, and the Nature Connection

Datos Bibliográficos

ID3321602
AutoresCarol D Ryff (0000-0002-4693-9190, University of Wisconsin–Madison, autor de correspondencia)
Año2021
Volumen12
Número11
Páginas914
Fecha de publicación2021-10-21
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaReligions (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
EditorialMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel12110914
PMID34881052
OpenAlexW3206764685
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas27
Referencias citadas48

The links between spirituality and eudaimonic well-being are examined, beginning with a look at theoretical issues as to whether spirituality is best construed as part of well-being, or as a possible influence on well-being. A brief review of scientific findings from the MIDUS study linking religion and spirituality to well-being and other outcomes is then provided to show recent empirical work on these topics. Suggestions for future work are also provided. The third section is forward-thinking and addresses the power of nature to nurture spirituality and well-being, beginning with a look at how current research has linked nature to human flourishing. Issues of spirituality are rarely mentioned in this literature, despite evidence that nature has long been a source of inspiration in poetry, literature, art, and music. These works reveal that the natural world speaks to the human soul. To explore such ideas, parts of Jungian psychology are revisited: the soul's longing for poetry, myth, and metaphor; the importance of animism, which sees nature as a field inhabited by spirit; and the devaluing of ancient cultures. The final section considers the wisdom of the indigenous peoples who saw spirit in everything. Their inputs, exemplified with "Two-Eyed Seeing", offer new visions for thinking about the interplay of spirituality, well-being, and the natural world

Aesthetics · Epistemology · Flourishing · Metaphor · Sociology · Soul · Spirituality · Vision · Anthropology · History · Paranormal Experiences and Beliefs · Philosophy · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction · Psychology · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology · Social Psychology