Mark Wenz
“Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind, and spirit.” —B.K.S. Iyengar
According to many thinkers and scholars, one’s spiritual health is closely aligned with one’s mental and physical health. I will provide an overview of scholarly thinking on this topic below.
The psychology of religion emerged as an academic discipline in the 19th century. While theorists such as Karl Marx (1818-1883), Emile Durkheim (1858-1917), and Max Weber (1864-1920) were interested in religion as a social phenomenon, the primary focus of the psychological approach to religion is the way in which religion operates in the mind of the individual (nyu.edu).
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) saw religion as a kind of neurosis that reflected humans’ buried fears and anxieties, but some of his contemporaries, including William James (1842-1910) and Carl Jung (1875-1961), viewed religion much more positively. James focused on the importance of religious experience in the mind of the believer or convert; similarly, Jung argued that religious experience could play a positive role in human psychological health (nyu.edu, wikipedia.org).
Humanistic psychology and religion were brought together in the 20th century by such thinkers as Viktor Frankl (1905-1997) and Abraham Maslow (1908-1970), both of whom explored ways in which religion provides meaning and growth for individuals rather than being “the opiate of the masses.” Some practitioners of psychoanalysis, such as Erik Erikson (1902-1994), broke from Freud by arguing that religion fosters human development and psychological health rather than reflecting buried fears and anxieties (nyu.edu, wikipedia.org). My own experiences have convinced me that my spiritual beliefs have a direct connection to my mental well-being.
The connection between physical health and spirituality is also well established. Practicing hatha yoga keeps one’s body supple and flexible and for many practitioners includes meditation and prayer. Eating a balanced diet rich in essential nutrients can help boost energy levels, improve cognitive function, and reduce inflammation, making it possible to connect with one’s spiritual side more easily, because one’s body isn’t ailing. A healthy body facilitates spiritual awareness (google.com).
Mindfulness, a key component of meditation and prayer, involves being present in the moment and observing thoughts and feelings without judgment. Research suggests that mindfulness, which is associated with both mental and spiritual health, can help to reduce stress and anxiety, improve mood, and boost personal contentment. Mindfulness can also result in reduced inflammation in the body, less chronic pain, and improvements in the body’s response to stress, all indicators of improved physical health. Practitioners of mindfulness often report improvements in all three aspects of health: the mental, the physical, and the spiritual (google.com).
The evidence is clear: If one wants to maximize the quality of one’s physical, mental, and spiritual health, then one must nurture each of these components of one’s life journey. Best wishes on finding the right balance for you.