The psychological experience of the self in self-focused (versus God-focused) spirituality

The purpose of this research was to investigate whether the focus in one’s relationship with God (self-focused vs. God-focused) was linked to differences in the psychological experience of the self. Although self-focused spirituality is characterized by the motivation to cultivate knowledge and positive feelings about the self, there was little evidence of these benefits; self-focused spirituality was not linked to feelings of authenticity or self-esteem. Instead, four studies (N = 1,126) showed that God-focused spirituality was linked to more positive self-related outcomes: clearer self-knowledge, higher self-esteem, psychologically healthier foundations of self-worth and self-enhancement strategies, and greater self-control. The implications of this work and future directions are discussed.