Religiosity, psycho-spiritual practices and health

While meditation is frequently perceived and portrayed in the West as a secular lifestyle or therapeutic practice, its origins are distinctly spiritual. The most comprehensive systems of meditation were derived from Hindu and Buddhist religious traditions.

While many studies have assessed the relationship between health and religiosity in populations practicing conventional Western religious lifestyles, few have assessed that associated with Eastern religiosity.

There is a growing body of evidence that points to a significant association between religiosity (a term under which both “spirituality” and “religion” will be subsumed for the purposes of this discussion) and health.