The document is a spiritual and psychological inventory questionnaire that was completed by a man named Brian. It contains 10 questions about Brian's spiritual beliefs and practices. Brian states that he sometimes meditates alone at the beach and lets his mind go free. He believes spirituality and a connection to God are important for his mental health. While he does not regularly attend church, he prays and talks to God. Brian finds relaxation through activities like playing guitar by the pier and stargazing. He believes spiritual awakening means acknowledging God's role in one's life. Brian thinks forgiveness benefits the person doing the forgiving by reducing anger and bitterness.

1. Unit 9 Project
Jeana E. Crosby
Kaplan University
HW420

2. Spiritual and Psychological Inventory Questionnaire
1. Do you currently participate in any form of spiritual practice?
There are seven practices which help lead an individual to spiritual awakening. The
seven practices include: transformation of motivation, cultivating emotional wisdom,
living ethically, concentrating and calming the mind, awakening the spiritual vision,
cultivating spiritual intelligence, and expressing the spirit in action (Walsh, 1999).
Spiritual practices can include prayer, meditation, mindfulness, and several more.
These practices lead individuals to a stronger connection with the Higher Being.
2. Do you believe that spirituality is important to your overall health and well-being?
There are components of the wellness paradigm which must be in balance for
optimum health. There must be a balance between the mind, body, emotions, and the
spirit (Seaward, 2013). The four components of the wellness paradigm are spiritual
well-being, emotional well-being, mental well-being, and physical well-being
(Seaward, 2013).
3. Do you believe that every living being has a spirit within?
We are all spirits living within a temporary body. The spirit allows everyone and
everything to be interconnected. A true spiritual connection is a connection with the
Higher Being/God. We are always connected to our divine source (Seaward, 2013).
Our divine source goes by many names/titles. The name of the divine source is not as
important as the source himself.

3. 4. In your opinion, what is the difference between prayer and meditation?
Meditation is the process of quieting the mind and focusing on a single object such as
an object or a mantra (repeating a word or phrase). Meditation is the process of
opening the heart and mind to hear from God. During the practice of meditation there
is the release of negative thoughts which allows the voice of God to be heard
(Seaward, 2013). Prayer is the act of either verbally or mentally talking to the
Higher Being. During prayer, there is a request made to God, gratitude is expressed
to God for the many blessings, and/or a person actively seeks divine guidance.
5. Do you meditate? How often and what are the benefits of meditation for you
personally?
Meditation has positive effects on the body both physically and psychologically.
Physically the use of mindful meditation helps relieve symptoms associated with
chronic pain (Seaward, 2015). Physiologically regular meditation decreases blood
pressure, heart rate, oxygen consumption, and muscle tension (Seaward, 2015).

4. 6. Are there any other relaxation techniques used to help quiet your mind and increase
your spiritual connection?
The sound of music has a positive effect on the body physiologically (Seaward,
2015). Mental imagery is a relaxation technique which has been shown to increase
the healing process for those with injuries and suffering from forms of chronic
illnesses (Seaward,2015). Daydreaming is form of relaxation in which the mind
replaces negative thoughts with positive thoughts. Guided mental imagery is
meditative for many people. With guided mental imagery individuals imagine
themselves in peaceful and relaxing places such as islands and/or in the mountains
(Seaward, 2015).
7. What does spiritual awakening mean to you?
To be awakened is to get to know ourselves and to acknowledge our relationship with
the Higher Being/God (Walsh, 1999). A true awakening allows release of fear, anger,
hate, jealousy, and other negative feelings/emotions. These negative emotions are
replaced with love, compassion, kindness, empathy, and many more positive
emotions.
8. Do you believe that humor is important to your overall well-being?
Humor is beneficial to one’s well-being. Humor therapy is used to reduce stress and
allow an individual to release tension by focusing on positive thoughts. Positive
thoughts strengthen the immune system. The immune system has a significant role in
the mind-body connection (Seaward, 2015).

5. 9. Who benefits from forgiveness? Do you believe that practicing forgiveness can
strengthen your spiritual connection to the Higher Being?
Forgiveness is one of the muscles of the soul. Muscles of the soul help individuals
cope with stress by removing barriers which block our connection to God (Seaward,
2013). Forgiveness is a cognitive process which benefits the one doing the forgiving
(Seaward, 2015). Forgiveness alleviates feelings of hostility, hate, anger, and other
toxic thoughts which hinder one’s overall health and well-being.
10. In your opinion what are the characteristics of a truly spiritual person?
The characteristics displayed by a spiritual person include: compassion, love, respect,
forgiveness, openness, empathy, kindness, humility, integrity, modesty, courage,
patience and much more (Seaward, 2013). These characteristics are essential for one
to become humble and meek while growing spiritually.

6. Answers to the questionnaire
The questionnaire was answered by a friend named Brian.
1. Brian stated that he meditates sometimes. Brian does pray and talk to God. He
does not have a specific time for his meditation practice. When meditating he
often sits quietly alone at the beach and lets his mind go free. He does not attend
church regularly.
2. Brian stated that he is spiritual and he believes that God (the Spirit) is within. He
stated that he believes God is omnipresent and is his constant help when he is
anxious or sometimes depressed.
3. Brian believes that everyone living has a spirit within whether they acknowledge
it or not.
4. Brian stated that prayer is a way of surrendering to God and acknowledging Him
as the Superior Being who can do anything and everything. He stated that prayer
is our communication line to God. He believes that meditation is the process of
opening the mind. With meditation, there is peace and quiet as opposed to prayer
which can be either verbal or silent.
5. When meditating Brian realizes that his blood pressure decreases as well as his
heart rate. He stated that he is more focused and relaxed after his meditation.
6. Brian stated that he often rides across the 3-mile bridge and parks his car by the
pier where the boats are docked. He sits on top of his car and plays his guitar to
relax, relieve stress, and just unwind. There are other times that he goes walking
at night and gazes at the stars in the sky for relaxation.

7. 7. Brian stated that spiritual awakening means opening the heart and mind to God
and his significant role in his life. Awakening is acknowledging the fact that God
is in control of everything and this brings him peace of mind and comfort.
8. Brian does believe in humor. He believes that laughter is essential for stress relief
on many occasions. He stated that many times he will let the kid out and laugh
and enjoy life.
9. Brian stated that he believes that the person doing the forgiving benefits the most
from forgiveness. He recognized the fact that many times others may not know
that someone is truly anger at them therefore they are not affected at all. He said
that there are other times when the other party knows what they have done but
have continued to live a happy life while the anger person is still angry and bitter.
He said that forgiveness allows a person release of anger and the ability to get on
with life.
10. Brian stated that he thinks that a truly spiritual person is loving and kind. He
stated that a spiritual person will go beyond their ordinary abilities to help
someone in need.

8. Results
The questionnaire asks questions about the components of spirituality. I think that the
questions are appropriate. I feel that the questions asked the right questions without being too
technical. I would not change my questionnaire. I think that this questionnaire is sufficient and
thorough enough to get the needed answers. Brian really opened when asked about humor but
when questioned about spirituality he was serious and more focused on expressing his true
feelings.

9. References
Seaward, B.L. (2013). Health of the Human Spirit: Spiritual Dimensions for Personal Health. 2nd
ed. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning
Seaward, B.L. (2015). Managing Stress: Principles and Strategies for Health and Well-Being. 8th
ed. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning
Walsh, R. (1999). Essential Spirituality. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.