Spirituality

The meaning of spirituality has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other.^{[1][2][3][note 1]} Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape of man",^{[note 2]} oriented at "the image of God"^[4][5] as exemplified by the founders and sacred texts of the religions of the world. The term was used within early Christianity to refer to a life oriented toward the Holy Spirit^[6] and broadened during the Late Middle Ages to include mental aspects of life.^[7][8]

In modern times, the term both spread to other religious traditions^[9] and broadened to refer to a wider range of experiences, including a range of esoteric and religious traditions. Modern usages tend to refer to a subjective experience of a sacred dimension,^[10] and the "deepest values and meanings by which people live",^[11][12] often in a context separate from organized religious institutions.^[6] This may involve belief in a supernatural realm beyond the ordinarily observable world,^[13] personal growth,^[14] a quest for an ultimate or sacred meaning,^[15] religious experience,^[16] or an encounter with one's own "inner dimension".^[17]

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