Religious Symbol’s Importance for Motivation, Emotions and Mental-wellbeing of Pakistani Shia Adults

Abstract

Religious symbols have their own meaning in every religion and culture. They are used to arouse emotions and create motivation among the masses. There are both positive and negative effects of religious symbols on the brain. It is important to explore the importance of religious symbols in the development of personality as religions drive the person in times of grief and happiness. Religiosity played a vital role in giving peace of mind and in the mental wellbeing of people. This study focuses on the importance of religious symbols among the Shia Muslims of Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan in creating motivation, emotions, and mental well-being. Eight adult Shia Muslims (age range 25-30) graduates were taken purposefully. Focus group discussion (FGD) was conducted and sessions were audio/videotaped. Before the FGD sessions protocol was established to conduct FGD. Three questions were asked from the respondents which are, how religious symbols are important for them? How do these symbols motivate them? What is the role of the symbols in mental well-being? The answers were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis with the help of Nvivo12. The findings of this study have that religious symbols are of high importance in the lives of people as people distinguish themselves from these and have a high emotional attachment to religious symbols and are important for the Shia adult's mental well-being.