Spirituality and Mindfulness: A Comparative Study Among Younger and Older Adults

Abstract

The relationship between the ideas of spirituality and mindfulness is revealed by this research. It centres on whether or not people regularly engage in spirituality and mindfulness practices, as well as whether or not these ideas are connected. The objective of this study is to compare the degrees of both conceptions in two age groups: younger adulthood (18–25 years), which is a phase of transition towards becoming an independent adult, and older adulthood (60+ years), which is a time when an individual gains more life experience and approaches the end of their journey. There has already been a lot of discussion regarding spirituality. From a Buddhist perspective, mindfulness is a relatively new idea, yet it has a long history. It has just recently become popular. Previous studies have shown the relationship between spirituality and mindfulness as well as the significance of both. However, they haven’t published a comparative analysis of the ideas among younger and older persons in particular. Conversely, it appears that there is a lot of discussion surrounding the relationship between spirituality and aging. This study employs a quantitative research design and the correlational technique of inquiry. The data analysis approach was based on statistical analysis using SPSS, and self-administered questionnaires were used as the data gathering technique. When the participant’s responses were analysed, it became clear that while mindfulness had a clear relationship with spiritual support—the perception of having a close relationship with God—it did not have a relationship with spiritual openness, which is the willingness to consider new ideas and alternate approaches to spirituality.  Through this research, it was also discovered that older adults have higher degrees of spirituality and mindfulness than younger adults.