Religious and Nonreligious Spirituality in Relation to Death Acceptance or Rejection

Abstract

Meanings of religious and nonreligious spirituality are explored, with implications for death acceptance, death rejection, and life extension. In the first of two exploratory studies, 16 elders low on intrinsic religiosity were compared with 116 elders high in religiosity; they differed both in qualitative responses and on death attitudes. In the second, 48 elders were assessed on religious and nonreligious spirituality and compared on attitudes toward death rejection, life extension, and death acceptance. Conclusions were that a sizable minority of elders hold nonreligious spirituality beliefs, and these beliefs are related to greater acceptance of life extension and death rejection.

Acknowledgments

An earlier version of this article was presented at the 2008 Meaning Conference of the International Network on Personal Meaning: Promoting Health, Spirituality, and Peace Through Meaning, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, July 24–27, 2008.