The idea that humans form part of a greater whole—from nature to a divine being— have been explored by a range of religions and philosophical traditions stretching as back to at least the ancient Greeks and Hindus.
People who feel a sense of oneness with something outside of themselves are more likely to be satisfied in life, according to a study.
Edinger-Schons said:"In my free time, I enjoy surfing, Capoeira, meditation and yoga, and all of these have been said to lead to experiences that can be described as being at one with life or nature or just experiencing a state of flow through being immersed in the activity. I was wondering whether the larger belief in oneness is something that is independent of religious beliefs and how it affects satisfaction with life.
The second part of the study involved 67,562 respondents with different or no religious beliefs. Of the total, 48,111 respondents revealed their religious affiliation including 15,799 who said they were Protestant; 13,648 atheist and 12,422 Catholic. A further 2,548 said they belonged to other non-Christian groups; while 2,114 marked themselves “other” Christian; 1,076 Muslim; 296 Buddhist; 120 Hindu and 88 Jewish.
“Strengthening the more general belief in the oneness of everything has the potential to enhance peoples' lives and might even be more effective than traditional religious beliefs and practices at improving life satisfaction,” Edinger-Schons wrote in the study. “The author did acknowledge this as a central limitation of this study. Personally I think the earlier scale offers a more comprehensive account of oneness beliefs by separating spiritual oneness from physical oneness.”
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