What Is Spirituality?
Spirituality refers to “the quest for inspiration, reverence, awe, meaning and purpose in life, whether or not one subscribes to a particular religion.”1 It is often more concerned with questions of the infinite than it is about specific religious beliefs or practices. Spirituality focuses on the bigger picture and can offer support in times of stress, physical (and mental) illness, death, and loss.
Spiritual people may embrace the belief that all humans are interconnected, and that love is at the core of every human being. This is a belief that often leads to acts of service, such as feeding the homeless, educating children, translating scriptures into another language, and so on. This work may be carried out by individuals or groups, and what makes it a spiritual experience is not the type of work done but the heart and intention behind it.
A spiritual person will often use character strengths like curiosity, humility, forgiveness, and hope to enhance their pursuit of the sacred. These strengths are nested within the virtue category of transcendence, which is the capacity to forge connections outside of ourselves, and provide meaning in our lives.
A spiritual person is also likely to use the virtue of wholeness, which is the capacity to bring together thoughts, values, emotions, and actions into a cohesive whole. This is a similar idea to what psychologist James J. Peterson calls the process of moving from a fragmented self to a unified self.