6/28/2025
Have You Ever Asked Yourself, “Is there something more or bigger?”
According to Elizabeth Scott, PhD, spirituality is a worldview that suggests a dimension to life beyond what we experience on the sensory and physical levels. It might entail religious or cultural practices and beliefs surrounding a higher being, connection with others and the world, and the pursuit of self-improvement.
I came across a blog called Lonerwolf.com as I was researching spirituality and religion’s impact on individuals. I love the description used by blogger Aletheia Luna.
According to Luna, there is a lot of beauty and depth in both religion and spirituality. The word “spirituality” comes from the Latin word spiritualis, which means, “breath; of the spirit; air.” Spirituality is connected to the divine through your own personal experience. It is primarily concerned with finding, experiencing, and embodying one’s true spiritual nature.
On the other hand, Luna stated that religion comes from the Latin word “religionem,” which means respect for what is sacred, reverence for the gods, conscientiousness, sense of right, moral obligation. Religion is connected to the divine through someone else’s experience. Primarily concerned with believing in, following, and obeying the rules created by a certain deity or spiritual teacher.
I have been both religious and spiritual for most of my life. I was brought up in a religious home. I grew up Roman Catholic. My mother took us to church, I was baptized, had my first communion, first confession, and at fourteen years old got confirmed in my faith after a year’s worth of religious instruction. After confirmation, I attended religious instruction less regularly. In college, I attended church on Easter and Christmas. Although my college had student religion services, I never attended.
When I met my husband in college, we shared many views although we were not brought up in the same Christian denomination. We married in the Roman Catholic church. During the first few years of marriage, we did not attend church.
Once first child was born, my husband and I began “church shopping.” Our oldest child was six months old when we found a small Episcopal church that fits the needs of our family. We attended church as a family when our sons were younger. As the children got older, my husband and I took turns serving in volunteer roles. As our family needs changed after our older son entered college, I eventually changed churches to be closer to home.
As I have gotten older, I am seeking ways to express personal spirituality more than taking part in church regularly. Up until a year ago and through COVID, I served in church roles from organizing church fair to leading an arts ministry for six years. This led to personal burn-out. I stepped away for a bit, attending less frequently, and turning down volunteer roles.
I realized that my spirituality as a younger person was so tied into my religion, I knew that I needed to step back, and I am finding new ways to express my spirituality through creative art time, listening to music, and reading. I have come to learn that although there may be overlaps, religion and spirituality are not the same.
Spirituality is not just about religious belief, but rather about connecting with something outside of yourself that brings meaning and connection to your life. It may include breathwork, service to others, spending time in nature, wrote Scott.
According to Psychology Today, spirituality means different things to different people. For some, it is a belief in God and active participation in organized religion. Yet for others, it is about non-religious experiences that help them contact their spiritual selves.
Spirituality is not a single path or belief. Not everyone experiences spirituality in the same way. Spirituality is diverse than the individuals who practice it. As I have done research on various topics for this blog, I have been introduced to various forms of spirituality and expression that I would like to further explore. What interests me is that many individuals identify themselves as spiritual not religious.
Some characteristics of spirituality are:
- Asking deep questions about life, suffering, death, etc.
- Deepening connections with others
- Experiencing compassion and empathy for others
- Experiencing feelings of interconnectedness
- Feelings of awe and wonder
- Seeking happiness beyond material possessions or external rewards
- Seeking meaning and purpose
- Wanting to make the world a better place.
Spiritual individuals may express their spirituality in different ways that may include:
- Breathwork, meditation or quiet time
- New age spirituality
- Prayer
- Service to the local community
- Spending time in nature
- Attending Spiritual retreats
- Practicing yoga
- Practicing spirituality through religious traditions
What is the difference between spirituality and religion?
Spirituality:
- Can be practiced by the individual.
- Does not have to adhere to specific set of rules.
- Focuses on personal journey of what is the meaning of life.
Religion:
- Often practiced in a community
- Usually based on specific set of rules and customs
- Often focused on the belief in deities or gods, religious texts, and traditions
Research findings have found positive benefits of spirituality. Spirituality and religious practices can lower anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. It can lead to greater happiness and improved well-being, and life satisfaction. Studies have confirmed that people connected to spiritual practice or tradition tend to be more resilient. When individuals participate in spiritual and religious practices, they broaden their social network.
Research has found that an instinct toward spirituality appears to be ingrained in humans. Even religious skeptics cannot stifle the sense that there is something greater than the physical world that we see in our daily lives.
Andy Tix, PhD, is a psychologist of religion and spirituality. Tix has been studying religion and spirituality for the last thirty years. He recently wrote that people experience spirituality in diverse ways, both within and beyond religion. Spirituality can involve God, nature, humanity, the self, questioning, or longing.
Psychologist of religion and spirituality Ken Pargament defines spirituality as the search for the sacred. What are the sacred asks, Tix.
In a 2015 study conducted by Daryl Van Tongreren and his colleagues, people differ in their perceptions of what is sacred. The findings of the study led to defining five primary sources of spirituality.
- Theistic Spirituality: The sacred is found or some kind of higher power. Practiced in longstanding religious traditions, rituals, and communities of faith.
- Nature spirituality: Sacred is rooted in a deep connection of the natural world. It involves awe and reverence for the earth and its beauty.
- Human spirituality: Some find spirituality in a sense of humanity shared with others. It may be experienced while working on behalf of societal peace or justice.
- Transcendent spirituality: This is a little more difficult to describe. It involves a personal connection with something that feels beyond words, something that is vaster or mysterious.
- Self-spirituality: This is a more inward experience of spirituality. Self can be a source of spirituality when there is a sense of genuineness, congruence, or wholeness felt. Spirituality with the sense of simply being you, undivided and authentic. Being true to yourself.
According to Dan Bates, PhD, multiple studies have established meaningful connections between faith practices and improved mental health outcomes. Religious and spiritual practices benefit psychological health through several pathways including helping people make meaning of life and find purpose.
Luna expressed the difference between spirituality and religion in this way:
“Modern spirituality puts a great emphasis on our personal connection with God/Life/Spirit. We are encouraged to find the truth within ourselves. Religion, on the other hand, puts emphasis on humbling ourselves to a Divinity that is usually seen as outside of ourselves.”
I leave you with this quote:
“At any moment, you have a choice, that either leads you closer to your spirit or further away from it.” Thich Nhat Hanh
Resources:
Image retrieved on 6/28/2025 from <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/hand-drawn-style-energy-healing-hands_9923889.htm”>Image by freepik</a>
Bates, PhD, Dan. “The Psychological Benefits of Spirituality. How faith frameworks can help you manage life’s challenges and stress.” Psychologytoday.com 3/21/2025.Retrieved on 6/27/2025 from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mental-health-nerd/202503/the-psychological-benefits-of-spirituality
Luna, Aletheia. “Spirituality vs Religion: 11 Differences (with pros and cons list).” Lonerwolf.com 4/17/2024. Retrieved on Retrieved on 6/26/2025 from https://lonerwolf.com/spirituality-vs-religion/
Psychology Today Staff. “Spirituality.” Psychologytoday.com Retrieved on 6/27/2025 from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/spirituality
Scott, PhD, Elizabeth. “How Spirituality Can Benefit Your Health and Well-Being: Finding balance in and connection with something bigger.” Verywellmind.com 10/20/2024. Retrieved on 6/27/2025 from
Tix, PhD, Andy. “7 Ways People Experience Spirituality. Spirituality is not one-size fits all. You may be more spiritual than you know.” Psychologytoday.com 6/17/2025. Retrieved on 6/27/2025 from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-pursuit-of-peace/202506/7-ways-people-experience-spirituality
Curious and Creative 