Abstract
This chapter aims at investigating the role of religious practice in promoting optimal experience, as well as in shaping the process of psychological selection. Data obtained from participants belonging to different cultures and religious traditions will be discussed. More specifically, we will explore the occurrence of optimal experience during religious practice, its psychological features, as well as the relevance of religion as a meaning-making system and as a component of the individuals’ developmental pathway. Cross-cultural findings will be compared with results derived from the administration of flow questionnaire and life theme questionnaire to two peculiar groups of participants, who decided to specifically commit themselves to religion: members of religious orders and congregations, and lay people actively involved in Catholic associations.
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Delle Fave, A., Massimini, F., Bassi, M. (2011). Optimal Experience and Religious Practice. In: Psychological Selection and Optimal Experience Across Cultures. Cross-Cultural Advancements in Positive Psychology, vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9876-4_12
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