The Healing Potential of Religion and Spirituality

In the last decades of psychological research, religion and spirituality have been regarded as helpful in coping with major life problems. Some existential challenges such as anxiety regarding death, meaninglessness, guilt or even feelings of condemnation call for a spiritual response. Beliefs and spiritual practices can play an important role in counteracting disease or influence it in a variety of ways. They can have an impact on how a person adheres to a treatment regime; they affect how a person follows after-treatment recommendations. Spiritual teachings invite believers to develop compassion, hope, surrender, forgiveness, and, finally, charity. A great number of research studies have addressed the healing potential of spirituality. The vast majority of them have focused on their psychological, social, and physical effects. This article gives a concise overview of this research as well as discusses remaining methodological challenges to better grasp the relationship between spirituality, religion and health.