Do spiritual ceremonies affect participants' quality of life? A pilot study

ObjectivesAs an attempt to explore and quantify the potential effects of spiritual ceremonies, the present study evaluated the effect of a spiritual ceremony on four independent facets of quality of life.DesignOverall, ten persons participated in a half-day spiritual ceremony. Participants completed a survey on quality of life (a) four weeks prior to the ceremony (T1), (b) three days before (T2) and (c) four weeks after the ceremony (T3).ResultsStatistical analyses demonstrated that the ceremony had a positive effect on spiritual and mental quality of life. The ceremony did not enhance participants' physical and emotional quality of life. Implications for future research are discussed.ConclusionsSpiritual ceremonies might serve as a booster for spiritual and mental quality of life.