Introduction
There are various standpoints on spirituality across a variety of disciplines and discourses, including culture, sociology, philosophy, and religious beliefs. The meaning of spirituality has advanced over the years, with each generation attempting to evaluate the existing belief systems. It may refer to a religious process where believers hope to reconcile with God in the end of their lives. The modern-day perspective focuses on the experience of the sacred dimension hinged on the belief of the supernatural that exists beyond the observable realm. Hence, a person’s religious consciousness can impact their personal experiences and health.
Description of Spirituality
In sociology, spirituality is the realm that surpasses humans’ knowledge of themselves and the universe. It is a system with unified beliefs and practices to bring together a singular moral community (Büssing, 2017). Spirituality affects human lives and verifies the community’s cultural practices. The religious aspect defines the culture of the particular individuals who subscribe to the specific belief. In philosophy, spirituality can be described as the way people find comfort, hope, peace, and the meaning of life. Philosophers repeatedly emphasize the need for meditation, self-introspection, and analysis of one’s purpose in life (Büssing, 2017). Nonetheless, spirituality is mostly a personal experience, although it is a social institution.
Spirituality and Wellness and Their Relationship to Scientism and Postmodernism
Religious beliefs and practices promote the health and well-being of individuals within a society. The benefits of well-being stem from the social and emotional support one acquires from religion. Spirituality provides a coherent belief system, existential meaning, moral code, and a sense of purpose. The beliefs in a supernatural being in varied ways integrate wellness in its ideology. Scientism and postmodernism play a remarkable role in healthcare and well-being. The two concepts are interrelated, where scientism is founded on the idea that the scientific description and analysis of reality is absolute and is the most plausible explanation. On the other hand, postmodernism argues that society has ceased to hold permanent social institutions as they were in the past. Postmodernism suggests that a single rationality is unfounded; thus, there is no absolute truth (Broom, 2020). The lives of people are subject to change and can be influenced by their religious dogmas.
Although there is no direct relationship between the beliefs and health, the former impact one’s sense of wellness. An individual experiencing positive thoughts, meditation, prayer, and strength drawn from religion can better understand well-being (Büssing, 2017). Spirituality equally plays a remarkable role in patients’ understanding of their diseases (Büssing, 2017). Religious convictions affect the healthcare decisions of patients in response to the treatment modes. Some patients need to consult with their pastors and priests before accepting such services as organ transplantations or brain surgery, while others require alongside physical treatment. Therefore, spirituality considerably determines health of people and their soundness.
Analysis of the Application of Spirituality in Understanding the World
From the previous analysis of spirituality in the various contexts mentioned above, one can boost their understanding of reality. Prime reality refers to the revelation of infinite and all-knowing God in the Bible. As such, God is a transcendental, immanent, good, and sovereign being. Worldview is a spiritual orientation, which involves the mind and lies deep within the inner recess of the human self and consciousness (Hill, 2016). The world appears to originate from Divinity’s act of creation since the modelling was done in an orderly manner. The world and humans are a part of The Almighty’s of the universe, with the latter made Yahweh’s in image and likeness. However, there is no clear direction at the extinction of existence which defines the next phase of life. Biblically, when a person dies, they are transformed into a higher state within the spiritual realm. The transformation is dependent on their observance of the commandments of the Father. From the discussion of prime reality, the universe is meaningful because of the presence of the Lord.
Consequently, the Scriptures offer insightful guidance on human familiarity, the discrepancy between right and wrong and relevance of human’s history. The ability to know everything in the universe is related to the concepts of biblical creation. Humans were made in consciousness and rationality of God; hence, one can assert similar knowledge. The design in His image further explains how to determine between right and wrong. The consciousness of good or bad is drawn from God’s shared relationship, whose morality is abounding. Moreover, human history provides the insights into the purpose of God in the lives of His people. In this worldview, the life-orienting commitment of a Christian is to fulfill God’s will.
Reflection on Spirituality
The belief in the Divine helps me discover that I am an influential part of the environment, and my cooperation with people cannot be ignored, promoting the sense of connectedness, human existence, and a general purpose in life. Understanding of these concepts improves my interaction with others because I understand my responsibility to develop relevant skills and meet the expectations of patients and the hospital. It is also necessary to study patient beliefs and support them in their intentions to obtain well-being and avoid health complications. Therefore, spirituality is my personal strength that guides my practice and shows what people suppose to get when they address hospitals.
Conclusion
Spiritual wellness impacts health, and individuals learn to build and develop inner resources and thought to give meaning to their experiences. Spirituality plays an essential role in how people face suffering, chronic illnesses, and loss. Hence, there is a need to address individuals’ emotional wellness to better care and improve people’s health. Spirituality influences myriads of significant facets of human functioning. These individuals are optimistic even in hardships and illnesses since they have established a sense of purpose in life.
References
Broom, B. (2020). The practice of whole person-centred healthcare. In R. Anjum, S. Copeland, & E. Rocca (Eds), Rethinking causality, complexity, and evidence for the unique patient (pp. 215-226). Cham, Switzerland: Springer.
Büssing, A. (2017). Measures of spirituality/religiosity—Description of concepts and validation of instruments. Religions, 8(1). Web.
Hill, J. L. (2016). After the natural law: How the classical worldview supports our modern moral and political views. San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press.