The Psychological and Spiritual Efficacy of Confession

Several aspects of confession are discussed. A distinction is made between personal narrative and confession in the analytic setting, focusing on the emergence of the psychogenic secret: that secret which is hidden from the analysand's ego consciousness. Such an unconscious secret can lead to emotional and psychological guilt and distress. The transference is seen as an essential dynamic for psychologically efficacious confession.     

Spiritual Maturity in Psychological Development

SUMMARY

A review of data from an international survey of life satisfaction in 13 countries indicates that acceptance of the conditions of life increases with age. In relation to religious orientation, in all countries women expressed more adherence to the belief systems of the country than did men. This paper raises the question of change in orientation in the latter portion of life, from a logical analytical perspective to a more subjective one. The search for meaning in the later years would thus appear to have a different focus than for persons in the work years of life.     

Psychological Implications of Women's Spiritual Health

The burgeoning women's spirituality movement is concrete evidence of feminist awakening in the culture. Women are finding some forms of feminist spirituality helpful for good mental health. Three specific shifts which have been occasioned by the feministization of religion are: (1) Women as protagonists of religion; (2) Women role models in the ministry, the academic study of religion, and as healers and leaders; and (3) Feminist changes in the content of the world's religions. This feminist theological overview clarifies the dynamics so that mental health professionals will understand what is happening and how it might figure into their strategies for health and healing.     

当代心理学文化兴起方法论困境与路向

今天的科学心理学执意于自然科学研究品格,试图将心理学创建成为有着与自然科学同样品质的学科门类,从而陷入科学与非科学之争的“康德式难题”尴尬境地。心理学文化兴起为学界提供了研究心理学与文化之间关系的新视角。但是,由于思维方式和方法论二元对立的局限性。使心理学走进了难以超越的困境。心理学文化兴起新路向在于思维方式的转向,从关注外在于人的文化或外在于文化的人转向对人的心理与文化之间的关联和互动层面。     

Spiritual Transcendence and Psychological Adjustment: The Moderating Role of Personality in Burn Patients

The current study examined the moderating role of personality traits (neuroticism and extraversion) on the relationship between spiritual transcendence and positive change, and spiritual transcendence and distress in burn patients. The sample (N = 98) comprised adult burn patients (age = 25–50) admitted to three hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan. They were assessed according to a demographic information sheet, the NEO Personality Inventory (McCrae and Costa in J Personal Soc Psychol 52:81–90, 1987), the Spiritual Transcendence Index (Seidlitz et al. in J Sci Study Relig 41:439–453, 2002), the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales-21 (Lovibond and Lovibond in Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress scales, Psychology Foundation, Sydney, 1995), and the Perceived Benefit Scales (McMillen and Fisher in Soc Work Res 22(3):173–186, 1998). Stepwise moderated regression analysis showed that both personality traits (neuroticism and extraversion) played a moderating role in the relationship between spiritual transcendence and positive change, and spiritual transcendence and distress in burn patients. The findings highlight the potential role spiritual transcendence may have in understanding and improving the psychological adjustment of burn patients.     

Self-Disclosure and Spiritual Well-Being in Pastors Seeking Professional Psychological Help

Pastoral mental health is a topic that has only rarely been researched empirically in the psychological literature, yet a pastor’s mental health can have a significant impact on churches, communities, and even nations (Royal and Thompson, Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 31(3), 195–204, 2012). One of the thoughts prompting this research is that evangelical pastors might be expected to resist the findings of psychological research and lack understanding of specific mental illnesses they are potentially facing. Combined with historical and cultural dynamics that could influence resistance to professional psychological help, evangelical pastors have personal, internal factors that could also strengthen resistance, including the researched issues of self-disclosure flexibility and spiritual well-being. A correlational research design with multivariate regression was used to determine potentially significant or predictive relationships between the relevant factors. Among evangelical seminary students (N = 251) preparing for parish-based pastoral ministry, this research determined that no significant relationship, predictive or otherwise, existed between self-disclosure flexibility, spiritual well-being, and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. Implications include a shift in focus toward external factors influencing pastors’ help-seeking attitudes, such as the need for the mental health community to develop connections with evangelical pastors and the development of more support for Christian mental health professionals in the larger evangelical community.     

Moderating Effects of Religious/Spiritual Coping in the Relation Between Perceived Stress and Psychological Well-Being

Although the relationship between stress and depressive symptoms is well documented, less is known about the role of coping strategies, in particular strategies for coping via religious or spiritual means. To investigate the relationships among these factors, data was collected with questionnaires completed by 127 MSW students at a northeastern university in 2003. Significant Stress×Religious/Spiritual Coping buffer interactions were found in the relationship between stress and depression. EQS 6.1 and hierarchical moderated regression analysis showed that religious/spiritual coping reduced the impact of stress on depression. Implications for practice are discussed.     

In Search of a Paradigm for Psychological and Spiritual Growth: Implications for Psychotherapy and Spiritual Direction

This article presents categories, drawn from the work of Abraham Maslow and Paul Tillich, which can be used to explore the similarities and differences in psychological and spiritual growth. While both dimensions of growth are interrelated, they are neither synonymous as terms nor fused as processes. Models for psychological growth cannot be superimposed onto spiritual growth because of some significant differences in the way in which self-awareness, spirit, and self-transcendence are defined and used by psychology and theology. It follows that psychotherapy and spiritual direction make unique contributions to human growth and need not be perceived as synonymous or competitive. There is a point at which psyche and spirit, psychotherapy and spiritual direction, meet: the place of healing.     

我国民族心理学研究的困境及出路

文章对我国民族心理学研究面临的困境进行了阐述,指出要成功走出目前的困境,在今后的研究中应融合多元方法,加强民族心理学研究中质与量的整合;加强民族心理学的理论建设;促进相邻学科的对话与合作,注重对综合性民族心理研究人才的培养;同时还要立足于我国民族的实际情况,加强对现实问题的研究,增强民族心理学研究的价值。     

Spiritual Dark Night and Psychological Depression: Some Comparisons and Considerations

The author contends that spiritual dark night and some forms of psychological depression share commonalties yet have distinctly different features that call for different responses from caregivers. The author presents comparisons between the 2 phenomena; highlights differences between them to offer counselors guidelines for making informed responses to their clients' issues; and compares professional preparation for spiritual directors, pastoral counselors, and traditional counselors. The article focuses on effective caregiver responses to dark night challenges that may be misperceived as manifestations of depression and stresses the importance of counselors and spiritual directors knowing their limits of expertise.     

The Role of Spiritual Experiences and Activities in the Relationship Between Chronic Illness and Psychological Well-Being

Our research explores the correlates of spiritual experiences over a 2-year period in a sample of older adults (N = 164; mean age 81.9 years) living in a continuing care retirement community. Utilizing responses to the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale, scores were analyzed for changes over time and for their hypothesized moderating effect in the relationship between chronic illness impact and markers of psychological well-being (as measured by the Geriatric Depression and Life Satisfaction scales). Repeated measures ANOVA indicated a significant decline (P < .01) in the reported spiritual experiences over a 2-year period of time, and t tests showed a significant difference by gender (P < .01) in years 1 and 2, with women reporting higher levels of spiritual experiences than men. Analyses found low spirituality scores associated with low life satisfaction in all years (baseline: r = ?.288, P < .01; year 1: r = ?.209, P < .05; year 2: r = ?.330, P < .001). Only weak associations were detected between low spirituality and the presence of depressive symptoms at baseline (r = .186, P < .05) and year 2 (r = .254, P < .01). Moderation effects of spirituality on the relationship between chronic illness impact and markers of psychological well-being were explored in all years, with a statistically significant effect found only for the presence of depressive symptoms in year 2. Higher impact of chronic illnesses is associated with more depressive symptoms under conditions of low spirituality. Future research may center upon longer-duration evaluation of reliance upon spiritual practices and their impact in care management models.     

The Spiritual Connection

SUMMARY

The spiritual connection between two people in relationship can bring a new perspective to interpersonal issues. When a relationship is based on authentic, congruent communication the process of owning projections and transforming negative emotions can free both people to love more wholeheartedly and to share the healing journey of spiritual awakening. This journey is an opportunity for growth and commitment to a shared purpose shifting motivation from fear to love.     

The Obligation Dilemma

I motivate a dilemma to show that nothing can be obligatory for anyone regardless of whether determinism or indeterminism (the falsity of determinism) is true. The deterministic horn, to which prime attention is directed, exploits the thesis that obligation requires freedom to do otherwise. Since determinism precludes such freedom, it precludes obligation too. The indeterministic horn allows for freedom to do otherwise but assumes the burden of addressing whether indeterministically caused choices or actions are too much of a matter of luck to be obligatory for anyone. I critically discuss a response to the deterministic horn that invokes the distinction between alternatives compatible with determinism (weak alternatives) and those incompatible with determinism (strong alternatives).     

The Editor's Dilemma

Dr. Burnham agreed to be interviewed regarding his views on Christian education from his perspective of 15 years of living in Africa and his current dealings with health issues in Africa. He is an expert on onchocerciasis or “river blindness” and has worked with the World Health Organization. In addition to being a physician, he has a Ph.D. in tropical disease epidemiology and a Masters in Clinical Tropical Medicine.     

The Spiritual Lifeline:

The Spiritual Lifeline Exercise provides a means for a life review surrounding the elderly person's spiritual past and future. This vehicle directs the participant to consider his or her thoughts and feelings associated with the intersections of significant life cvents and spiritual or religious happenings from timcs past. Moreover, the participant is encouraged to take spiritual action in his or her future. The exercise cultivates the discovery and discussion of psychosocial wisdom (ego integrity) and thus is useful in a variety of settings where elderly people meet with each other, with clergy, or with geriatric personnel. Gerontology students also gain insights into their own lives and thc lives of elderly persons by their own participation in the exercise.