By Jordynn Duffy
Take a moment to ponder these quotes from different major religious texts:
“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
“Tao gives all things life; Te gives them fulfillment. Nature is what shapes them; living is what brings them to completion”
“Hard-working, vigilant, virtuous friendship, and balanced living—these lead to happiness in this life.”
“Whoever does good, whether male or female, and is a believer, We will surely bless them with a good life, and We will certainly reward them according to the best of their deeds.”
What do these mean for us? Well, for centuries, a connection to the divine has oriented people towards how to live a good life. Many would argue that the spiritual principles taught by the different world religions have temporal importance in their ability to influence happiness and bring a sense of abundance to life. A reflection on those quotes shows that, even objectively, they give great advice on how to live! Even while not all individuals are affiliated with a particular religion, it has been increasingly common for people to seek a connection to something greater than themselves. This connection to something transcendent can have an incredible impact on our ability to live optimistically, mindfully, and abundantly. I’ve seen this in my own life, and I think if you took a moment to contemplate, you’d see it in yours too.
But it’s not just me who thinks so! Research by Dominguez et al. (2024) has shown that religious individuals have lower mortality rates, better cardiovascular health, and greater general well-being. Additionally, many studies have emphasized the positive influence of religion on reported happiness levels and engagement in communities (Pew Research Center, 2019). Although modern psychology has tended to reject theism as a legitimate world view, roughly 84% of the world’s population (that’s 5.8 BILLION people!) are religiously affiliated (Pew Research Center, 2012). This means that for 5.8 billion people, transcendence is an important part of how they understand the world and interpret the meaning of their life. For those who seek and experience transcendence, be it through a religious context or not, there is something curiously and plainly powerful about the impact looking outside of ourselves, to something greater, has to increase our quality of life.
In fact, transcendence has great implications in our ability to live optimistically and mindfully. Life is a complicated mixture of positive and negative emotions. A connection with something greater than ourselves often helps us better see the importance of this life experience and overcome difficult challenges. Transcendence can help people see discomfort as a catalyst for growth and failure as a steppingstone to positive change. The paradigm shift it affords us allows us to look at life’s beauty as a blessing and life’s setbacks as necessary parts of our journey. Transcendence can sharpen our senses, clear our minds, calm our hearts, and give us courage to carry on. Truly, it helps us be optimistic, not by encouraging us to ignore what is difficult in life, but by teaching us that a good life is what we make it. Transcendence also can provide us with a pattern for a “good life,” that is helpful and clear to follow. Understanding this allows us to look at life mindfully and helps us escape the anxiety so prevalent in the world. By using a transcendent perspective to overcome difficulties and to clarify our life’s purpose, we may just find that we become calmer, kinder, healthier and happier. Truly, we may just find ourselves experiencing life, and that more abundantly.
“It is the power of the mind to be unconquerable.”
References
Dominguiez, L. J., Veronese, N., Barbagallo, M. (2024). The link between spirituality and longevity. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 36, Article 32.
Masci, D. (2019, February 6). Why we studied the possible links between religion and happiness, health and Civic Engagement. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/02/06/why-we-studied-the-possible-links-between-religion-and-happiness-health-and-civic-engagement/#:~:text=People%20who%20regularly%20attend%20a,Center%20analysis%20of%2035%20countries.
Pew Research Center. (2012, December 18). The global religious landscape. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2012/12/18/global-religious-landscape-exec/