Flow and Emotional Experience in Spirituality

Rufi, Sergi; Włodarczyk, Anna; Páez, Darío; Javaloy, Federico

doi:10.1177/0022167815571597

Cited by 20 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…For example, exposure to secular contexts such as natural grandeur also produces feelings of awe and enhances prosociality independent of religious belief (Piff et al, 2015;Prade & Saroglou, 2016). Likewise, in one study, the presence of positive emotions and flow were equivalent in those who were engaged in nonspiritual social activities as well as those attending Catholic mass (Rufi et al, 2016). In regards to the elicitation of awe, one study found that reported physical health was improved when Christians were immersed in a cathedral (versus a mosque or museum).…”

Section: Secular Needs Experiences and Practicesmentioning

confidence: 92%

Focusing on the nonreligious reveals secular mechanisms underlying well-being and prosociality.

Galen

2018

Psychology of Religion and Spirituality

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Greater attention to secular and nonreligious individuals has provided much-needed balance as well as alternative interpretations of commonly-held assumptions regarding religiosity/ spirituality (R/S). Contrary to the theory that R/S provides unique benefits in areas such as prosociality and mental health, analogous secular mechanisms exist. The conflation of effects attributed to R/S together with secular effects represents a congruence fallacy. Studies often lack proper controls found in other areas of psychology (e.g., dismantling or placebo designs) that could detect when religion is acting as a proxy for more basic underlying influences. For example, an increased focus on the nonreligious has revealed that religious belief has often been confounded with factors such as strong worldview conviction, social engagement, and normative cultural fit. R/S differences co-occur with demographic, personality, cognitive, and epistemic variables that exert causal influence independent of any religious content. Experimental and treatment outcome studies featuring effects attributed to R/S often have not included equivalent secular conditions or stimuli. The association between spirituality and well-being has been artificially inflated because of conceptual blurring on assessment measures, leading to the miscategorization of some nonreligious individuals into the spirituality domain. In sum, a more specified and critical approach is needed in order to validate assumptions that religiosity and spirituality exert unique effects.

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Section: Secular Needs Experiences and Practicesmentioning

confidence: 92%

Focusing on the nonreligious reveals secular mechanisms underlying well-being and prosociality.

Galen

2018

Psychology of Religion and Spirituality

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“…Furthermore, a recent study showed that participation in an eating-based collective gathering attended by different ethnic families resulted in improvements in subjective well-being (SWB) including an improved sense of gratitude, hope, optimism, inspiration, love or closeness to other people in general, and social and spiritual connection towards group members (Zumeta 2017). Another study showed that participation in a Zen Buddhist retreat or Catholic mass elicited an experience of shared flow, and activated emotions of calm and serenity when compared with a secular Sunday group activity (Rufi et al 2015). In line with these findings, de Rivera and Carson (2015) argue that reflecting on humanitarian principles in a group gathering could promote a sense of both group and global identity, as well as compassionate intentions towards humanity.…”

mentioning

confidence: 86%

The Mediating Role of Shared Flow and Perceived Emotional Synchrony on Compassion for Others in a Mindful-Dancing Program

et al. 2019

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Objectives While there is a growing understanding of the relationship between mindfulness and compassion, this largely relates to the form of mindfulness employed in first-generation mindfulness-based interventions such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. Consequently, there is limited knowledge of the relationship between mindfulness and compassion in respect of the type of mindfulness employed in second-generation mindfulness-based interventions (SG-MBIs), including those that employ the principle of working harmoniously as a "secular sangha." Understanding this relationship is important because research indicates that perceived emotional synchrony (PES) and shared flow-that often arise during participation in harmonized group contemplative activities-can enhance outcomes relating to compassion, subjective well-being, and group identity fusion. This pilot study analyzed the effects of participation in a mindful-dancing SG-MBI on compassion and investigated the mediating role of shared flow and PES. Methods A total of 130 participants were enrolled into the study that followed a quasi-experimental design with an intervention and control group. Results Results confirmed the salutary effect of participating in a collective mindful-dancing program, and demonstrated that shared flow and PES fully meditated the effects of collective mindfulness on the kindness and common humanity dimensions of compassion. Conclusions Further research is warranted to explore whether collective mindfulness approaches, such as mindful dancing, may be a means of enhancing compassion and subjective well-being outcomes due to the mediating role of PES and shared flow.

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“…Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1986 ) posits that we behave differently in groups to when we are alone. Empirical research on Flow, and emotional experiences in spirituality affirms this to a degree, in a comparison of experiences between people attending a Catholic mass (group), individuals engaging in Zen meditation, and a control group (Rufi et al, 2016 ). Those attending the mass returned higher scores and statistical significance in five out of the nine dimensions on the Flow State Scale—these being ability level (challenge), clear goal, control, action-awareness merging, and concentration (Jackson & Marsh, 1996 ).…”

Section: Suggested Psychological Framework Of Spiritual Experiencesmentioning

confidence: 97%

Psychology and Spirituality: Reviewing Developments in History, Method and Practice

Sargeant

Yoxall

2023

J Relig Health

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This paper begins with an overview of the governing principles of psychology as a discipline, and outlines the key paradigm shifts that potentially aligned with concepts of spirituality from the early twentieth century to contemporary theory. The discussion then moves to consider how research methods in psychology can contribute to understanding how spirituality is measured and described. We consider the contribution of validated surveys, and how qualitative methods can access the lived experience of spiritual phenomena. More specifically, the psychological constructs of "Flow" and properties associated with psychological capital are posited in relation to characteristics that define a spiritual experience. Finally, we draw attention to how exploration how spirituality of individuals may be addressed, and the scope for including spiritual appreciation in competencies required in psychological practice.

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Flow and Emotional Experience in Spirituality

Cited by 20 publications

References 21 publications

Focusing on the nonreligious reveals secular mechanisms underlying well-being and prosociality.

Focusing on the nonreligious reveals secular mechanisms underlying well-being and prosociality.

The Mediating Role of Shared Flow and Perceived Emotional Synchrony on Compassion for Others in a Mindful-Dancing Program

Psychology and Spirituality: Reviewing Developments in History, Method and Practice

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