Abstract
Spirituality encompasses connection—religious or otherwise—with a non-physical reality as perceived by the individual. Sigmund Freud famously considered this domain a form of neurosis. Although others such as Carl Jung, Viktor Frankl, and William James had more favourable opinions, spirituality remains at the side lines of mental health science to this day. Private and philanthropic foundations are the largest supporters of research on spirituality and mental health, as federal agencies in almost all developed countries, including the USA and UK, have yet to issue any formal requests for funding proposals. Yet, 84% of the world's population is religiously affiliated, and 68% of unaffiliated individuals believe in a higher power. 1 The global religious landscape: a report on the size and distribution of the world's major religious groups as of 2010. Pew Research Center, 2012https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2014/01/global-religion-full.pdfDate accessed: January 31, 2020 Google Scholar No other social phenomenon is so widespread, yet all but ignored by academic psychiatry.
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