Flourish FM

Episode # 16: Spirituality and Flourishing, with Dr. Lisa Miller

Dec 5, 2022

Dr. Lisa Miller, author of The Spiritual Child and a professor, discusses the benefits of spirituality for well-being, the distinction between spirituality and religious belief, and the transformative effect of service and altruism. They explore concepts like transcendence, self-transcendent experiences, synchronicity, and the power of deep relationships. They also discuss the connection between spirituality, meaning, and living a morally good life.

01:07:51

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Episode guests

Lisa Miller

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Quick takeaways

A strong spiritual life has been shown to decrease the risk of addiction and suicide, according to peer-reviewed science.

Synchronicity, the experience of perceiving connections between seemingly unrelated events, is considered a spiritual phenomenon.

Spirituality involves a perception of a loving, guiding force in life and is not limited to religion; it is a natural capacity within all of us.

Deep dives

The Importance of Spirituality for Mental Health

A strong spiritual life has been shown to decrease the risk of addiction and suicide, according to peer-reviewed science. The absence of spiritual discussion in society has led to an increase in mental illness and despair. Spirituality and religion are often intertwined, with 70% of people in the United States considering themselves both spiritual and religious. However, spirituality goes beyond self-transcendence and extends to a relationship with a higher power or transcendent force. Research suggests that self-transcendent experiences, such as those found in group flow during musical performances, can create a consciousness field that connects individuals in a unique way.

Introduction

5min

The Relationship Between Religion and Spirituality

7min

Transcendence and Mystical Experience

8min

Self-Transcendent Experiences, Brain Waves, and Our Connection to All Life

4min

Synchronicity and the Perception of Meaning

19min

Music as a Creative and Emotional Outlet

2min

Exploring the Consciousness Field and Synchronicity

21min

The Power of Deep Relationships and Paying Attention to Synchronicity

4min

In this episode, we talked to Dr. Lisa Miller about the science of spirituality and how we can apply research , the role of spirituality in flourishing and how we can apply research on the science of spirituality to our lives. She has developed a form of psychotherapy known as “spiritual awareness psychotherapy” or “awakened awareness,” which we practice live on the call!

Lisa Miller is the New York Times bestselling author of The Spiritual Child and a professor in the Clinical Psychology Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is the Founder and Director of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute, the first Ivy League graduate program and research institute in spirituality and psychology, and has held over a decade of joint appointments in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical School. Her innovative research has been published in more than one hundred peer-reviewed articles in leading journals. Lisa is an elected Fellow of the American Psychological Association (“APA”) and the two-time President of the APA Society for Psychology and Spirituality.

Key conversation points:

Research in neuroscience and psychology on the benefits of spirituality for our well-being, such as how spirituality can reduce the risk of depression, anxiety and suicidality
The difference between spirituality and religious belief
The connection between spirituality, meaning, and living a morally good life
The form of psychotherapy Lisa’s developed, “spiritual awareness psychotherapy” (also known as “awakened awareness”), which we practice live on the call!
What “synchronicity” is and the kind of attitude we need to cultivate to perceive synchronicity
The distinction between transcendent and self-transcendent experiences

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