As a psychologist, my patients frequently ask me how they they can cure their sadness so that they can feel happier and experience a deeper sense of purpose in their lives. It's a loaded question. I recognize that my answer might not feel like much of a solution, because I often recommend that they reflect upon the things that bring them meaning.
Usually, that's not easy.
They'll suggest solutions like: "Shouldn't I start exercising? Or maybe I should go on a Yoga retreat. Perhaps I should begin eating a clean diet?" Like many of us, they are uncomfortable with the idea that solutions might be discovered through personal reflection.
But, now, there's research to back up the clinical intervention that I've been using for years. A recent study suggests that pondering the meaning of life may also be a panacea for depression, chronic loneliness, and other emotional disorders.
According to this new research, people who ask existential, spiritual questions, such as "What happens after we die?" or "Is there a higher power?" are psychologically healthier than those who avoid them.
The study published by the Journal of Contextual and Behavioral Sciencecollected data from 307 American adults who were experiencing conflicts, questions, and tensions about spirituality and religion. These quandaries included questioning the existence of a higher power, feeling angry with god, and feeling abandoned by god.
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