Awe and transcendence

ثُمَّ قَسَتۡ قُلُوبُكُم مِّنۢ بَعۡدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَهِيَ كَٱلۡحِجَارَةِ أَوۡ أَشَدُّ قَسۡوَةࣰۚ وَإِنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنۡهُ ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُۚ وَإِنَّ مِنۡهَا لَمَا يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخۡرُجُ مِنۡهُ ٱلۡمَآءُۚ وَإِنَّ مِنۡهَا لَمَا يَهۡبِطُ مِنۡ خَشۡيَةِ ٱللَّهِۗ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعۡمَلُونَ

Even after that, your hearts became as hard as rocks, or even harder, for there are rocks from which streams spring out, and some from which water comes when they split open, and others which fall down in awe of God: He is not unaware of what you do

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنۡ خَشۡيَةِ رَبِّهِم مُّشۡفِقُونَ

Those who stand in awe of their Lord

لَوۡ أَنزَلۡنَا هَٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ عَلَىٰ جَبَلࣲ لَّرَأَيۡتَهُۥ خَٰشِعࣰ ا مُّتَصَدِّعࣰ ا مِّنۡ خَشۡيَةِ ٱللَّهِۚ وَتِلۡكَ ٱلۡأَمۡثَٰلُ نَضۡرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

If We had sent this Quran down to a mountain, you [Prophet] would have seen it humbled and split apart in its awe of God: We offer people such illustrations so that they may reflect

وَلَمَّا سَكَتَ عَن مُّوسَى ٱلۡغَضَبُ أَخَذَ ٱلۡأَلۡوَاحَۖ وَفِي نُسۡخَتِهَا هُدࣰ ى وَرَحۡمَةࣱ لِّلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِرَبِّهِمۡ يَرۡهَبُونَ

When Moses’ anger abated, he picked up the Tablets, on which were inscribed guidance and mercy for those who stood in awe of their Lord

وَٱذۡكُر رَّبَّكَ فِي نَفۡسِكَ تَضَرُّعࣰ ا وَخِيفَةࣰ وَدُونَ ٱلۡجَهۡرِ مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡلِ بِٱلۡغُدُوِّ وَٱلۡأٓصَالِ وَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ ٱلۡغَٰفِلِينَ

[Prophet], remember your Lord inwardly, in all humility and awe, without raising your voice, in the mornings and in the evenings- do not be one of the heedless

إِنَّمَا ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ ٱللَّهُ وَجِلَتۡ قُلُوبُهُمۡ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتۡ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ءَايَٰتُهُۥ زَادَتۡهُمۡ إِيمَٰنࣰ ا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمۡ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ

true believers are those whose hearts tremble with awe when God is mentioned, whose faith increases when His revelations are recited to them, who put their trust in their Lord

Then your hearts became hardened after that, so they were like stones or even harder. And there are stones from which rivers come gushing, and among them are those that split and water comes forth from them, and among them are those that fall down in fear of God. In the case of the ignorant, the hardening of the heart is unkindness, lack of mercy, and distance from the path of the Real. In the case of the recognizers, the purifiers, and the limpid, hardening is the strength of the heart, the state of stability, the perfection of knowledge, and the state of limpid- ness. Abū Bakr used to show it from himself. Whenever he saw that someone was weeping and twisting in himself because of listening to the Qur'an, he would say, “I was like that until the hearts became hardened.” This hardening is an allusion to the perfection of the state of the recognizers and the majesty of the level of the s

Surely those who tremble in fear of their Lord… it is they who hurry to good deeds. When an intelligent man ponders the meaning of these verses, he will come to know that the obedi- ent are more fearful in their obedience than the disobedient are fearful in their disobedience. Just as the disobedient need His curtaining, so also the obedient need His curtaining. The Real says, “And repent all together to God, O you who have faith! [24:31]. O faithful, you who are obedient and you who are disobedient! All of you return to Our threshold with the attribute of pleading! In the state of poverty and brokenness ask for Our forgiveness, so that We may cover you with the curtain of Our mercy.” I wonder at the empty-headed Qur'an-reciter who makes two cycles of prayer at night and the next day knits the knot of self-seeing on his brow and places the favor of his own being on heaven and earth. All

Then your hearts became hardened O you Jews they your hearts became stiffened against acceptance of the truth thereafter that is after what is mentioned of the bringing back to life of the slain man and the other signs before this; and they are like stones in their hardness or even yet harder than these; for there are stones from which rivers come gushing and others split yashshaqqaq the initial tā’ of the root-form yatashaqqaq has been assimilated with the shīn so that water issues from them; and others come down from on high in fear of God while your hearts are unmoved unstirred and not humbled; And God is not heedless of what you do but instead He gives you respite until your time comes ta‘malūna ‘you do’ a variant reading has ya‘malūna ‘they do’ indicating a shift to the third person address.

Surely those who for fear of their Lord are apprehensive are fearful of His chastisement

Had We sent down this Qur’ān upon a mountain and had it the mountain been endowed with a faculty of discernment like man you would have surely seen it humbled rent asunder by the fear of God. And such similitudes as those mentioned — do We strike for mankind that perhaps they may reflect and so become believers.

Had We sent down this Qur'an on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and rent asunder by the fear of Allah. Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect (21)He is Allah, beside Whom La ilaha illa Huwa, the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen. He is the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful (22)He is Allah, beside Whom La ilaha illa Huwa, Al-Malik, Al-Quddus, As-Salam, Al-Mu'min, Al-Muhaymin, Al-'Aziz, Al-Jabbar, Al-Mutakabbir. Glory be to Allah! Above all that they associate as partners with Him (23)He is Allah, Al-Khaliq, Al-Bari, Al-Musawwir. To Him belong the Best Names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorify Him. And He is the Almighty, the All-Wise (24) Asserting the Greatness of the Qur'an Allah the Exalted emphasizes the greatness of the Qur'an, its high status and of being worthy of making hearts humble and rent asunder

حَدَّثَنَا هَدَّابُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، ح وَحَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ الْعَنْبَرِيُّ، ح وَحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى، حَدَّثَنَا الْمُعْتَمِرُ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ، بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ أَخْبَرَنَا جَرِيرٌ، كُلُّهُمْ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ التَّيْمِيِّ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كَامِلٍ، فُضَيْلُ بْنُ حُسَيْنٍ - وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ - حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا التَّيْمِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ، عَنْ أُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ قُمْتُ عَلَى بَابِ الْجَنَّةِ فَإِذَا عَامَّةُ مَنْ دَخَلَهَا الْمَسَاكِينُ وَإِذَا أَصْحَابُ الْجَدِّ مَحْبُوسُونَ إِلاَّ أَصْحَابَ النَّارِ فَقَدْ أُمِرَ بِهِمْ إِلَى النَّارِ وَقُمْتُ عَلَى بَابِ النَّارِ فَإِذَا عَامَّةُ مَنْ دَخَلَهَا النِّسَاءُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Usama b. Zaid reported that Allah's Messenger (way peace be upon him) said:I stood at the door of Paradise and I found that the overwhelming majority of those who entered therein was that of poor persons and the wealthy persons were detained to get into that. The denizens of Hell were commanded to get into Hell, and I stood upon the door of Fire and the majority amongst them who entered there was that of women

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي عَرُوبَةَ، سَمِعَ أَبَا رَجَاءٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَذَكَرَ مِثْلَهُ ‏.‏

This hadith is narrated likewise through another chain of transmitters

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ جَامِعِ بْنِ شَدَّادٍ، عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ مُحْرِزٍ، عَنْ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ جَاءَ نَفَرٌ مِنْ بَنِي تَمِيمٍ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ ‏"‏ يَا بَنِي تَمِيمٍ، أَبْشِرُوا ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالُوا بَشَّرْتَنَا فَأَعْطِنَا‏.‏ فَتَغَيَّرَ وَجْهُهُ، فَجَاءَهُ أَهْلُ الْيَمَنِ، فَقَالَ ‏"‏ يَا أَهْلَ الْيَمَنِ، اقْبَلُوا الْبُشْرَى إِذْ لَمْ يَقْبَلْهَا بَنُو تَمِيمٍ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالُوا قَبِلْنَا‏.‏ فَأَخَذَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُحَدِّثُ بَدْءَ الْخَلْقِ وَالْعَرْشِ، فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ يَا عِمْرَانُ، رَاحِلَتُكَ تَفَلَّتَتْ، لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أَقُمْ‏.‏

Narrated `Imran bin Husain:Some people of Bani Tamim came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he said (to them), "O Bani Tamim! rejoice with glad tidings." They said, "You have given us glad tidings, now give us something." On hearing that the color of his face changed then the people of Yemen came to him and he said, "O people of Yemen ! Accept the good tidings, as Bani Tamim has refused them." The Yemenites said, "We accept them. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) started taking about the beginning of creation and about Allah's Throne. In the mean time a man came saying, "O `Imran! Your she-camel has run away!'' (I got up and went away), but I wish I had not left that place (for I missed what Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had said

وَرَوَى عِيسَى، عَنْ رَقَبَةَ، عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ، عَنْ طَارِقِ بْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ يَقُولُ قَامَ فِينَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَقَامًا، فَأَخْبَرَنَا عَنْ بَدْءِ الْخَلْقِ حَتَّى دَخَلَ أَهْلُ الْجَنَّةِ مَنَازِلَهُمْ، وَأَهْلُ النَّارِ مَنَازِلَهُمْ، حَفِظَ ذَلِكَ مَنْ حَفِظَهُ، وَنَسِيَهُ مَنْ نَسِيَهُ‏.‏

Narrated 'Umar:One day the Prophet (ﷺ) stood up amongst us for a long period and informed us about the beginning of creation (and talked about everything in detail) till he mentioned how the people of Paradise will enter their places and the people of Hell will enter their places. Some remembered what he had said, and some forgot it

حَدَّثَنَا الْمَكِّيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ ـ هُوَ ابْنُ أَبِي هِنْدٍ ـ عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ نِعْمَتَانِ مَغْبُونٌ فِيهِمَا كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ، الصِّحَّةُ وَالْفَرَاغُ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ عَبَّاسٌ الْعَنْبَرِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا صَفْوَانُ بْنُ عِيسَى، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي هِنْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِثْلَهُ‏.‏

Narrated Ibn `Abbas:The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "There are two blessings that many people are deceived into losing: health and free time

حَدَّثَنِي أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الْمِقْدَامِ، حَدَّثَنَا الْفُضَيْلُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو حَازِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سَهْلُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ السَّاعِدِيُّ، كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي الْخَنْدَقِ وَهْوَ يَحْفِرُ وَنَحْنُ نَنْقُلُ التُّرَابَ وَيَمُرُّ بِنَا فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ اللَّهُمَّ لاَ عَيْشَ إِلاَّ عَيْشُ الآخِرَهْ، فَاغْفِرْ لِلأَنْصَارِ وَالْمُهَاجِرَهْ ‏"‏‏.‏ تَابَعَهُ سَهْلُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِثْلَهُ‏.‏

Narrated Sahl bin Sa`d As-Sa`idi:We were in the company of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in (the battle of) Al-Khandaq, and he was digging the trench while we were carrying the earth away. He looked at us and said, "O Allah! There is no life worth living except the life of the Hereafter, so (please) forgive the Ansar and the Emigrants

ومن فهم ذلك فجدير بأن يكون حاله الخشية والحزن ولذلك قال الحسن والله ما أصبح اليوم عبد يتلو القرآن يؤمن به إلا كثر حزنه وقل فرحه وكثر بكاؤه وقل ضحكه وكثر نصبه وشغله وقلت راحته وبطالته

وقال بعضهم إنما العلم الخشية لقوله تعالى إنما يخشى الله من عباده العلماء وكأنه أشار إلى أخص ثمرات العلم

فإن الخشية ثمرة العلم فتكون كالمجاز لغير تلك الغريزة ولكن ليس الغرض البحث عن اللغة

فالطمأنينة والاقشعرار والخشية ولين القلب كل ذلك وجد

والإنابة جامعة لمقام المحبة والخشية لا يكون العبد منيبا إلا باجتماعهما

ومقام المراقبة جامع للمعرفة مع الخشية فبحسبهما يصح مقام المراقبة

App-based mindfulness training supported eudaimonic wellbeing during the COVID19 pandemic.: A randomized-controlled-trial study (N = 219) tested two pre-registered hypotheses that mobile-phone app-based mindfulness training improves wellbeing and increases self-transcendent emotions: gratitude, self-compassion, and awe. Latent change score modeling with a robust maximum likelihood estimator was used to test how those changes are associated in the training versus the waiting-list group. The training increased wellbeing and all self-transcendent emotions regardless of interindividual var

Self-transcendence among adults 65 years and older: A meta-analysis.: Introduction: Self-transcendence is a human capacity for wellbeing by expanding one's personal boundaries and may act as a health-promoting resource among adults ≥65 years. Therefore, the objectives of this meta-analysis were to determine the mean score of self-transcendence based on place of residence and gender, and to evaluate the correlations of self-transcendence with meaning, sense of coherence, resilience and depression. Methods: Based on inclusion criteria, 13 studies were included. Orwi

Correlates of post-traumatic stress symptoms and growth in cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.: Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the relationships among demographic, medical, and psychosocial factors and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and post-traumatic growth (PTG) in oncology populations. Method: A systematic search identified k = 116 relevant studies published between 1990 and 2012. Meta-analyses synthesized results from studies that reported data on correlates of PTSS (k = 26) or PTG (k = 48). A meta-analysis was performed for k = 5 studies reporting the correlatio

Systematic Literature Review of the Impact of Islamic Psychotherapy on Adolescent Spiritual Well-Being.: Islamic psychotherapy has been widely utilized in various fields, particularly in psychology, focusing on aspects of aqidah, worship, and morality, which can significantly contribute to individuals' spiritual well-being. Despite the abundance of studies on Islamic psychotherapy, systematic literature reviews on this topic remain scarce. This article aims to review the literature on the impact of Islamic psychotherapy on adolescent spiritual well-being. A qualitative research methodology was empl

Experimental elicitations of awe: a meta-analysis.: A meta-analytic review of studies that experimentally elicited awe and compared the emotion to other conditions (84; 487 effects; 17,801 participants) examined the degree to which experimentally elicited awe (1) affects outcomes relative to other positive emotions (2) affects experience, judgment, behaviour, and physiology, and (3) differs in its effects if the awe state was elicited through positive or threatening contexts. The efficacy of methods that have been used to experimentally elicit aw

Religiosity and spirituality in the prevention and management of depression and anxiety in young people: a systematic review and meta-analysis.: Historically, religion has had a central role in shaping the psychosocial and moral development of young people. While religiosity and spirituality have been linked to positive mental health outcomes in adults, their role during the developmental context of adolescence, and the mechanisms through which such beliefs might operate, is less well understood. Moreover, there is some evidence that negative aspects of religiosity are associated with poor mental health outcomes. Guided by lived experien

The qualitative findings from an online survey investigating nurses' perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care.

Aims and objectives: To provide an opportunity for members to express their understandings of spirituality and spiritual care. Background: The role and place of spirituality within nursing have been contested by academics and wider society. One argument posited is supporting patients with their spiritual needs is not the responsibility of nurses. This is despite a clear professional requirement for nurses to achieve competence in the delivery of spiritual care. Design: The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) conducted an online survey of its membership to ascertain their perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care identifying current practice. Methods: This article presents the findings from the final part of the survey that asked respondents to use a free-text facility to add comments on the subjects of spirituality and spiritual care. Results: Overall, 4054 RCN members responded, of thes…

matched on Spirituality (mesh)

Forgiveness and health: assessing the mediating effect of health behavior, social support, and interpersonal functioning.

Religiousness and spirituality are important to most Americans and while beneficial associations between forgiveness and health are consistently observed, little is known regarding the mechanism of association. Cross-sectional multiple mediation-based analyses of associations between dimensions of forgiveness and physical and mental health were conducted using a sample of 363 undergraduate students from rural Southern Appalachia. Controlling for demographic variables (i.e., gender, age, education, ethnicity, and marital status) and lifetime religiousness, multivariable analyses reflected associations of forgiveness of self and forgiveness of others, but not feeling forgiven by God, with physical health status, somatic symptoms, mental health status, and psychological distress. All such associations operated through health behavior and/or social support; however, only in the context of fo…

matched on Spirituality (mesh)

Spiritual needs among patients with chronic pain diseases and cancer living in a secular society.

Objective: Research has shown that several patients report unmet psychosocial and spiritual needs. While most studies focus on patients with advanced stages of disease, we intended to identify unmet spiritual needs in patients with chronic pain diseases and cancer living in a secular society. Methods: In an anonymous cross-sectional study, standardized questionnaires were provided to German patients with chronic pain diseases (and cancer), i.e., Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ), Spirituality/Religiosity and Coping (SpREUK-15), Spiritual Well-being (FACIT-Sp), Brief Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale, Interpretation of Illness Questionnaire, and Escape from Illness (Escape). Results: We enrolled 392 patients (67% women, mean age 56.3 ± 13.6 years; 61% Christian denomination) with chronic pain diseases (86%) and cancer (14%). Religious Needs (mean score 0.5 ± 0.8 on the scale) an…

matched on Spirituality (mesh)

Spirituality and subjective wellbeing in patients with lower-limb ulceration.

Objective: To assess subjective wellbeing and spirituality in patients with either venous leg ulcers (VLUs) or diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). Method: This was a prospective, descriptive, analytical study conducted from December 2011 to October 2012. The study was approved by the Institutional Research Ethics Committee. A convenience, non-probability sample of 80 patients with either VLUs (n=40) or DFUs (n=40) were consecutively selected from an outpatient clinic of a university hospital in the city of Pouso Alegre, Brazil. Most participants were practising Catholics. The Subjective Wellbeing Scale and Spirituality Self-Rating Scale were administered to all participants. Results: Thirty-two (80%) patients with foot ulcers and 22 (55%) patients with leg ulcers reported going to church sometimes or rarely. Most participants regarded religiosity and spirituality as synonymous, and living with …

matched on Spirituality (mesh)

Spirituality, religiosity, and spiritual pain among caregivers of patients with advanced cancer.

Background: Caregivers of patients with advanced cancer often face physical, social, and emotional distress as well as spiritual pain. Limited research has focused on the spiritual aspects of caregivers' suffering in the palliative care setting. Methods: We interviewed 43 caregivers of patients with advanced cancer in our palliative care outpatient clinic. We determined demographic characteristics, religious affiliation, and relationship to the patient. Levels of spirituality, religiosity, and spiritual pain were self-reported using numeric rating scales (0 = lowest; 10 = highest). The participants completed various validated questionnaires to assess sleep disturbances, psychosocial distress, coping skills, and quality of life (QOL). Results: The median age was 52 years (range, 21-83); 29 (67%) were women, 34 (78%) were white, 7 (17%) were African American, and 2 (5%) were Hispanic; 39 (…

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The relationship between forgiveness, spirituality, traumatic guilt and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among people with addiction.

Spirituality and forgiveness have been shown to be associated with psychological well-being, while guilt has been associated with poor health. Little is known, however, about the relationship between forgiveness, spirituality, guilt, posttraumatic stress (PTSD) and psychological co-morbidity among people in recovery from addiction. Eighty-one people (F = 36, M = 45) in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction were recruited from two residential units and two drop-in centres in a city in the United Kingdom. They completed the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (PDS), the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28), the Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale (SIBS), the Heartland Forgiveness Scale (HFS), the Traumatic Guilt Inventory (TGI), the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST-22) and the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-20). The control group comprised of 83 (F = 34, M = 49) indiv…

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Spirituality-based recovery from drug addiction in the twelve-step fellowship of narcotics anonymous.

Background: Narcotics Anonymous is a worldwide fellowship that employs the Twelve-Step model for members dependent on drugs of abuse. The spiritual orientation of its program of abstinence has not been subjected to empirical study. Methods: Responses of 527 American Narcotics Anonymous meeting attendees to a structured questionnaire were evaluated for the roles of cognitive and psychosocial aspects of spirituality in their recovery. Results: Respondents had last used drugs or alcohol on average 6.1 years previously. They were found to be more oriented toward a spiritual than a formally religious orientation than probability samples of the general population. Aspects of membership such as affiliation toward other members and the experience of spiritual awakening were associated with lower rates of drug or alcohol craving, whereas scores on depression were associated with higher craving sc…

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Written and spoken narratives about health and cancer decision making: a novel application of photovoice.

Photovoice is a community-based participatory research method that researchers have used to identify and address individual and community health needs. We developed an abbreviated photovoice project to serve as a supplement to a National Cancer Institute-funded pilot study focusing on prostate cancer (PrCA) that was set in a faith-based African American community in South Carolina. We used photovoice for three reasons: (a) to enhance communication between study participants and researchers, (b) to empower African American men and women to examine their health decisions through photographs, and (c) to better understand how participants from this community make health-related decisions. The 15 individuals participating in the photovoice project were asked to photograph aspects of their community that informed their health-related decisions. Participants provided written and oral narratives…

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Spiritual well-being and quality of life in Iranian women with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy.

Purpose: Psychological distress and morbidity are common consequences of diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer and associated with poor quality of life (QOL). Spiritual well-being is an important aspect of QOL, but little is known about the spiritual well-being and its relationship with QOL in patients of different cultures such as Iranian Muslim patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of QOL and spirituality among patients with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study which was conducted in the Breast Cancer Research Center of St. S. Al-Shohada Hospital, Isfahan, Iran. Spiritual well-being was measured using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT-Sp12). The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life (EORTC QLQ-C30) and its supplementa…

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Dreams of the dead among Cambodian refugees: frequency, phenomenology, and relationship to complicated grief and posttraumatic stress disorder.

The authors investigated the importance of dreams of the deceased in the experiencing of prolonged grief (PG) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Cambodian refugees who survived the Pol Pot genocide (1975-1979). Such dreams were frequent in the last month (52% of those surveyed), and most often involved a relative who died in the Pol Pot period. Past month frequency was correlated with PG severity (r = .59) and PTSD severity (r = .52). The dreams were almost always deeply upsetting because the dreams indicated the deceased to be in a difficult spiritual state. Dreams of the deceased as a central component of PG and PTSD among Cambodian refugees is discussed.

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Re-examining definitions of spirituality in nursing research.

Aim: To discuss the definition of spirituality and its limitations for nursing research. It proposes a definition that will capture more accurately the role of spirituality in health outcomes. Background: Studies have increasingly examined spirituality in nursing research as a coping mechanism attenuating the negative impact of traumatic stress on mental health. Existing definitions of spirituality in nursing research include elements of positive emotional states (meaning, purpose, general well-being) which confound mental health outcomes. Data sources: Medline and CINAHL databases were searched from 2007-2011 for research articles examining spirituality definitions and measures used by nurse researchers. Discussion: An analysis of the definitions of spirituality in nursing research reveals inconsistencies and confounding mental health concepts. The authors propose defining spirituality …

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Multiple dimensions of spirituality in recovery: a lagged mediational analysis of Alcoholics Anonymous' principal theoretical mechanism of behavior change.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) states that recovery is possible through spiritual experiences and spiritual awakenings. Research examining spirituality as a mediator of AA's effect on drinking has been mixed. It is unknown whether such findings are due to variations in the operationalization of key constructs, such as AA and spirituality. To answer these questions, the authors used a longitudinal model to test 2 dimensions of AA as focal predictors and 6 dimensions of spirituality as possible mediators of AA's association with drinking. Data from the first 18 months of a 3-year longitudinal study of 364 alcohol-dependent individuals were analyzed. Structural equation modeling was used to replicate the analyses of Kelly et al. (Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2011;35:454-463) and to compare AA attendance and AA involvement as focal predictors. Multiple regression analyses were used to determine which sp…

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Why is spiritual care infrequent at the end of life? Spiritual care perceptions among patients, nurses, and physicians and the role of training.

Purpose: To determine factors contributing to the infrequent provision of spiritual care (SC) by nurses and physicians caring for patients at the end of life (EOL). Patients and methods: This is a survey-based, multisite study conducted from March 2006 through January 2009. All eligible patients with advanced cancer receiving palliative radiation therapy and oncology physician and nurses at four Boston academic centers were approached for study participation; 75 patients (response rate = 73%) and 339 nurses and physicians (response rate = 63%) participated. The survey assessed practical and operational dimensions of SC, including eight SC examples. Outcomes assessed five factors hypothesized to contribute to SC infrequency. Results: Most patients with advanced cancer had never received any form of spiritual care from their oncology nurses or physicians (87% and 94%, respectively; P for d…

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Spirituality in the cancer trajectory.

Spirituality is an essential element of person-centered care and a critical factor in the way patients with cancer cope with their illness from diagnosis through treatment, survival, recurrence and dying. Studies have indicated a significant relationship between spirituality and quality of life. Spirituality, in its broadest sense speaks to the meaning patients find in their lives especially during times of stress, illness and dying. Illness can trigger deep existential issues that could trigger profound suffering and distress. A model is presented that describes the role of each member of the healthcare team in addressing patients' spirituality. Spiritual distress, as a diagnosis, requires attention and treatment just as any other clinical symptom. Spiritual resources of strength need to be identifies and recognized as positive factors in patients' coping. Finally a treatment plan needs…

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Measuring spirituality as a universal human experience: development of the Spiritual Attitude and Involvement List (SAIL).

Many cancer patients experience spirituality as highly supportive while coping with their disease. Most research as well as most questionnaires in this field is religious orientated. The Spiritual Attitude and Involvement List was developed to enable research on spirituality among religious and nonreligious people. It consists of seven subscales that measure connectedness with oneself, with others and nature, and with the transcendent. Among a student, a healthy population, a healthy interested, a curative cancer, and a palliative cancer sample factorial, convergent and discriminant validity were demonstrated, as well as adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability.

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Predicting dropout in the first 3 months of 12-step residential drug and alcohol treatment in an Australian sample.

Objective: Premature termination from treatment is a major factor associated with poorer drug and alcohol treatment outcomes. The present study investigated client-related baseline predictors of dropout at 3 months from a faith-based 12-step residential drug treatment program. Method: Data were collected over a period of 14 months from eight residential drug and alcohol treatment programs run by The Australian Salvation Army. The final sample consisted of 618 participants, including 524 men (84.8%) and 94 women (15.2%). Predictor variables of interest were age, gender, primary drug of concern, criminal involvement, psychological distress, drug cravings, self-efficacy to abstain, spirituality, forgiveness of self and others, and life purpose. At 3 months, 264 participants (42.7%) remained in the treatment program, and 354 participants (57.3%) had dropped out. Results: Binary logistic regr…

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Suicidal intention and negative spiritual coping one year after the earthquake of L'Aquila (Italy).

Background: This study investigated the rate of suicidal intention and its relationship with the features of religious involvement in a non-clinical sample of the adult population exposed to the L'Aquila earthquake. Methods: The study population was composed of 426 people who had experienced the earthquake (188 males and 238 females). For comparison, 522 people were recruited from nearby unaffected areas. The sample was investigated for suicidal intention screening, distinguishing Suicidal Screen-Negative (SSN) subjects from Positive (SSP) subjects. Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS) and Impact of Event Scale (IES) assessments were administered. Results: More SSP subjects were observed in the population exposed to the earthquake (Odds Ratio 3.54). A higher proportion of females showed suicidal ideation. Multivariate analysis showed overall significance f…

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Unmet spiritual care needs impact emotional and spiritual well-being in advanced cancer patients.

Purpose: Spiritual care is an important part of healthcare, especially when facing the crisis of advanced cancer. Do oncology inpatients receive spiritual care consistent with their needs? When inconsistent, are there deleterious effects on patient outcomes? Methods: Patients with advanced cancer (N = 150) were surveyed during their inpatient stay at a southeastern medical center using validated instruments documenting spirituality, quality of life, mood, and satisfaction with care. Relationships between the receipt of less spiritual care than desired and patient outcomes were examined. Results: Almost all patients had spiritual needs (91%) and the majority desired and received spiritual care from their healthcare providers (67%; 68%), religious community (78%; 73%), and hospital chaplain (45%; 36%). However, a significant subset received less spiritual care than desired from their healt…

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Rethinking hopelessness and the role of spiritual care when cure is no longer an option.

Increasingly in the U.S., health care clinicians fail to recognize and accept when curative goals are no longer realistic. At this point, futile efforts at cure can fuel false hopes in patients and their loved ones. The clinician's need to be "doing something" may result in treatment that violates the dignity and well-being of the patient and this can lead to the patient's ultimate hopelessness and despair. This article uses a personal narrative to explore the hopelessness of a patient diagnosed with nonresectable pancreatic cancer and the challenge it raised for the author, who was a friend and a nurse to the patient. Hope is described as a virtue that takes as its object "a future good, difficult but possible to obtain," and that sits squarely between false hopes and despair. Spiritual care that addresses three universal spiritual needs (meaning and purpose, love and relatedness, and f…

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Assessment of religious and spiritual capital in African American communities.

African American faith communities are an important source of social capital. The present study adapted a theory-based social capital instrument to result in religious (e.g., from organized worship) and spiritual (e.g., from relationship with higher power) capital measures. Data from a national sample of 803 African Americans suggest the instruments have high internal reliability and are distinct from general religiosity. Measurement models confirmed factor structures. Religious capital was positively associated with self-rated health status. Religious and spiritual capital were negatively associated with depressive symptoms, but these associations largely became nonsignificant in multivariate models that controlled for demographic characteristics. An exception is for spiritual capital in the form of community participation, which retained a negative association with depressive symptoms.…

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Spirituality and spiritual caring: nurses' perspectives and practice in palliative and acute care environments.

Aims and objectives: Identify and compare spiritual caring practice by palliative care and acute care registered nurses (RNs), determine any correlation between nurses' spiritual perspective and their spiritual caring, and to investigate perceived barriers to spiritual caring. Background: Over the past decade there has been growing interest in spiritual caring in nursing. Professional nursing bodies have proposed spirituality and spiritual caring as an integral component of holistic nursing. Design: Cross sectional study. Methods: Palliative care RNs (n = 42) from one community palliative care service and three hospices, and acute care RNs (n = 50) from three major acute care hospitals all in metropolitan Sydney, Australia completed a research questionnaire. Two validated tools and a demographic survey were used to collect data. These tools measured spiritual perspectives including salie…

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Burden and well-being among a diverse sample of cancer, congestive heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease caregivers.

Context: Three important causes of death in the U.S. (cancer, congestive heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) are preceded by long periods of declining health; often, family members provide most care for individuals who are living with serious illnesses and are at risk for impaired well-being. Objectives: To expand understanding of caregiver burden and psychosocial-spiritual outcomes among understudied groups of caregivers-cancer, congestive heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease caregivers-by including differences by disease in a diverse population. Methods: The present study included 139 caregiver/patient dyads. Independent variables included patient diagnosis and function; and caregiver demographics, and social and coping resources. Cross-sectional analyses examined distributions of these independent variables between diagnoses, and logistic regr…

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Mevlana Jalāl-ad-Dīn Rumi and mindfulness.

The use of mindfulness-related methods for the treatment of a variety of psychological, somatic and interpersonal problems has increased dramatically in the last decade. Almost all mindfulness-based therapies include the practice of meditation in addition to various cognitive and/or behavioral techniques. The source of inspiration for mindfulness has traditionally been Buddhism, while Islamic thought has not been present in this development despite the similarities in philosophy and a growing need for mental health support among Muslim populations throughout the world. It is in this context that Sufism and especially Rumi's teachings seem to be promising both in terms of research on consciousness and in terms of culturally sensitive methods of healing. The aim of the present article is to highlight the commonality of mindfulness-based therapies and Rumi's religious philosophy. Introducin…

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Religious coping and behavioral disengagement: opposing influences on advance care planning and receipt of intensive care near death.

Objective: This study examines the relationships between methods of coping with advanced cancer, completion of advance care directives, and receipt of intensive, life-prolonging care near death. Methods: The analysis is based on a sample of 345 patients interviewed between January 1, 2003, and August 31, 2007, and followed until death as part of the Coping with Cancer Study, an NCI/NIMH-funded, multi-site, prospective, longitudinal, cohort study of patients with advanced cancer. The Brief COPE was used to assess active coping, use of emotional-support, and behavioral disengagement. The Brief RCOPE was used to assess positive and negative religious coping. The main outcome was intensive, life-prolonging care near death, defined as receipt of ventilation or resuscitation in the last week of life. Results: Positive religious coping was associated with lower rates of having a living will (AO…

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Relationships among spirituality, religious practices, personality factors, and health for five different faith traditions.

To determine: (1) differences in spirituality, religiosity, personality, and health for different faith traditions; and (2) the relative degree to which demographic, spiritual, religious, and personality variables simultaneously predict health outcomes for different faith traditions. Cross-sectional analysis of 160 individuals from five different faith traditions including Buddhists (40), Catholics (41), Jews (22), Muslims (26), and Protestants (31). Brief multidimensional measure of religiousness/spirituality (BMMRS; Fetzer in Multidimensional measurement of religiousness/spirituality for use in health research, Fetzer Institute, Kalamazoo, 1999); NEO-five factor inventory (NEO-FFI; in Revised NEO personality inventory (NEO PI-R) and the NEO-five factor inventory (NEO-FFI) professional manual, Psychological Assessment Resources, Odessa, Costa and McCrae 1992); Medical outcomes scale-sho…

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