The Experience of Spirituality: Adults and Millennials
Location
DeSantis Room 1047
Format Type
Plenary
Format Type
Paper
Start Date
16-1-2020 2:45 PM
End Date
16-1-2020 3:05 PM
Abstract
While psychological assessments and research have attempted to quantify the experience of spirituality, the great religious and spiritual traditions of the world have understood spirituality as both immanent and transcendent. The two studies presented in this session will present findings which underscore the immanent and transcendent nature of the human experience of spirituality. The first examined the experience of spirituality as part of an individual’s identity and was published in the Qualitative Report on May 25, 2015. Key findings of this research identified that participant’s experience spirituality as part of their identity or sense of self, which shaped the way they lived and how decisions were made. Participants also described spirituality as providing a pervasive sense of joy, peace, and meaning in life. A second study completed in 2019 examined the experience of millennials regarding spirituality and religion. While echoing themes from the earlier study, participants discussed their experience of incongruence between personal beliefs and traditional organized religions while also noting the importance of maintaining relationships with those holding similar values.
Keywords
spirituality, self, religious experience, millennials
The Experience of Spirituality: Adults and Millennials
DeSantis Room 1047
While psychological assessments and research have attempted to quantify the experience of spirituality, the great religious and spiritual traditions of the world have understood spirituality as both immanent and transcendent. The two studies presented in this session will present findings which underscore the immanent and transcendent nature of the human experience of spirituality. The first examined the experience of spirituality as part of an individual’s identity and was published in the Qualitative Report on May 25, 2015. Key findings of this research identified that participant’s experience spirituality as part of their identity or sense of self, which shaped the way they lived and how decisions were made. Participants also described spirituality as providing a pervasive sense of joy, peace, and meaning in life. A second study completed in 2019 examined the experience of millennials regarding spirituality and religion. While echoing themes from the earlier study, participants discussed their experience of incongruence between personal beliefs and traditional organized religions while also noting the importance of maintaining relationships with those holding similar values.
Comments
The researcher and presenter, Louis F. Kavar, Ph.D., is a core faculty member at the Harold Abel School of Psychology, Capella University. Holding a Ph.D. in counseling psychology, Dr. Kavar studied phenomenological research at Duquesne University. He is the author of eight books, including The Integrated Self: A Holistic Approach to Spirituality and Mental Health Practice.