Spirituality a powerful force in coping with 9/11: BGSU study

BOWLING GREEN, O.—Spirituality can play a powerful role in how people deal with acts of violence.
Researchers at BowIing Green State University and Fordham University surveyed students at their respective institutions in the aftermath of Sept. 11.

Greater personal belief that the terrorists who attacked America violated a sacred aspect of one’s life or were operating under the devil’s influence is linked with greater desire for revenge and retaliation, the researchers found. Results of the study were reported at the annual conference of the American Psychological Association held in Chicago.

Making either appraisal of the attacks, whether as a spiritual violation or demonic power at work, also relates to enhanced feelings of national solidarity and personal growth, as well as anxiety.

BGSU psychology faculty and graduate students surveyed 259 students for the study last November and December. At Fordham, in New York City, 57 students were sampled in April and May by Dr. Mary Procidano, associate professor and chair of the psychology department.

Dr. Annette Mahoney, associate professor of psychology at BGSU, said that the theological dimension of Sept. 11 deserves far more attention by the media and social scientists. In particular, “we need to better understand how Americans make sense of 9/11 from a personal spiritual perspective, especially since one national survey found that 90% of Americans turned to prayer, religion or spirituality to cope with the attacks,” said Mahoney, the principal investigator of the study.

The researchers examined the extent to which people viewed the events of Sept. 11 as desecration—a violation of something held sacred—and whether they demonized the terrorists as a spiritual explanation for the attacks.

On the latter question, 71 percent of the BGSU students indicated belief in the devil, and 64 percent agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that the devil was at work in the terrorists’ actions.

“A clear and robust finding was that the more people demonized the terrorists, the more likely they were to endorse extremist reactions against the terrorists,” according to Mahoney. Those reactions were part of such statements as “no punishment is too extreme for these people,” “these people should be tracked down and assassinated” and “these people should suffer for all of eternity.”

Higher levels of demonization also related to greater post-traumatic distress symptoms and illness, as well as enhanced spiritual and psychological growth. “People who believed they saw the power of the devil operating in life vividly were more likely to take stock of their lives and to rethink their values,” Mahoney added.

Assuming that such perceptions are active worldwide, their power can’t be disregarded, Mahoney said. “The spiritual interpretations of acts of violence need to be recognized as serious psychological realities,” she noted. “Religious or political leaders who implicitly or explicitly encourage desecration and demonization are tapping into a rich source of human motivation.”

Even in interpersonal relationships, failure to recognize and understand the “spiritual dimension” may lead to inability to resolve differences, she said.

Also among the BGSU researchers in the Sept. 11 study were Dr. Kenneth Pargament, professor of psychology, and graduate students Gene Ano, Quinten Lynn, Gina Magyar, Shauna McCarthy, Erica Pristas and Amy Wachholtz. They comprise a subgroup of the University’s Spirituality and Psychology Research Team (S.P.i.R.i.T.).

(Posted September 6, 2002)