Investigating the Relationship between Personality Type and Spiritualism

Abstract

Personality and spiritualism are two important aspects of human psychology that shape how individuals perceive, experience, and respond to the world around them. The ‘Big Five’ personality model comprises of Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism which actually provides a comprehensive framework for understanding individual differences in behavior and to identify different thought patterns. Spiritualism, on the other hand, refers to one’s personal connection to self, others and the universe which often includes different elements of meaning, purpose and inner growth of life to a certain extent. The present study aims to determine if personality type is associated with spiritualism and to determine whether any specific personality type significantly predicts higher level of spiritualism or not. Data was collected from 106 participants from both men and women. Participants were selected without any predefined age range, for ensuring inclusivity across different age groups. Results indicated the following. The study revealed that there is a lack of correlation present between personality and spiritualism which may seem unremarkable but still it raises important questions about what truly shapes spiritual beliefs. Personality types such as Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism generally refers to as the stable characteristics that influence our thoughts, behaviors and emotions. In contrast, spiritualism often arises from individual life experiences, personal reflections, cultural backgrounds and existential questioning. The lack of a significant relationship between these two aspects suggests that spiritual beliefs and practices are not limited or shaped by fixed personality types. It further highlights the complexity of human behavior where spirituality seems to emerge independently by overpowering our typical behavior or feelings. It also challenges the assumption that certain personality types are more likely to be spiritual. Hence, this finding reinforces the idea that spiritual growth is a personal journey of any individual which mostly get shaped by different real-life events, challenges, relationships, emotions and situations other than by personality alone.