Young generation moving from Religion to Spirituality? Study finds a new trend, it says…

New Delhi: Gen Z’s Movement from Religion to Spirituality The article explores the transition of the new generation to searching for a higher purpose by doing inner work, yoga, and meditation. Despite the fact that the present time is full of sudden changes, unpredictability, and overuse of digital technology; however, numerous people born from 1995 until the beginning of 2010 are discovering their own way to spiritual happiness.

A number of the traditional institutions that were originally fully integrated in the life of families and communities have noted a very clear decrease in participation and affiliation among young adults. Nevertheless, it is important to note that Gen-Z are the ones who go the extra mile, exploring personal growth, mindfulness, Eastern philosophy, and yoga to get themselves to the place of wisdom they are looking for.

New studies have found that Gen-Z has been changing to a great degree in terms of faith and spirituality. In the case of the United States, a report by the Pew Research Centre in 2021 found that as many as 48% of the youth of Gen-Z have spiritual beliefs though they do not attribute themselves to the religious institutions. This data has pointed to a spike in youth who refer to themselves as ‘spiritual but not religious’.

Psychologist and writer Dr. Jean Twenge, who researches generational differences, said “Being in touch with the spiritual side is the key to connection and meaning which is less likely to be found in material pursuits for the Gen-Z generation.” Another argument that can be made here is that the more profound orientation toward the meaning of life that distinguishes the approach of Gen-Zs is vulgar through a significant part of Gen-Zs. to existence and personal development.”

A lot of Gen-Z youngsters have grown up in families which were religiously agnostic at best or who were religious naysayers. Furthermore, thanks to global internet expansion and online communication, these people have become globally aware and have also had a chance to learn about other ways of living which naturally led them to develop a pluralistic and questioning personality.

Gen Z’s most cherished values of inclusivity, authenticity, mental health, and individual freedom are in constant contention with the strictness of religion and its hierarchical institutions. This causes them to feel disconnected and disenchanted from traditional worship and authority-led spiritual structures. People have seemed to have lost faith in second-hand belief or inherited family traditions, and they are currently in the quest for direct experiences of the truth.

The fact that the psychologist Dr. Jean Twenge is a psychologist who is also a generational researcher is pointed out in the article, noting that spirituality has become a tool for the new generation of religious people, the so-called Gen-Z. Spirituality gives them a sense of connection and a purpose which is in the present moment rather than in fear or guilt.

In the Gen-Z, meditation and yoga are the first choice for inexperienced (sometimes joined by a group of friends) people who want to start their spiritual quest. It is not uncommon for people to have first adopted these practices as stress relief and a way of staying healthy, but with time, these very practices became something sacred to them. Consequently, young people perceive that stillness is achievable in the tumult of the world; they feel the presence of a supernatural power that they can develop a close relationship with there.

Not only that, the Science of Identity Foundation founder , Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa who explains that the ultimate purpose of yoga moves beyond physical activity and in actuality, it is the practice of yoga that makes the connection possible, says of yoga. It implies that yoga is uniting two entities, a man and God together, playing out a loving relationship. Gen-Z is, therefore, to this one version of the divine, entirely natural, purely an internal matter and cannot be identified as only one way.

The mental health of Gen-Zs is seen as the central issue for the generation of the 21st century. We witness the escalating levels of anxiety, stress, depressive states, and burnout in mental cases whereby traditional coping mechanisms are no longer effective among the majority.

A large number of young persons are now doing things like breathwork, mindfulness, and mantra meditation not only to heal the symptoms but also to elevate their spirit. To give additional information, Jagad Guru points out that meditation is a way of reaching yoga, the oneness with the Divine. “When the individual spirit soul contacts the Supreme Soul, the person becomes God-conscious, and the soul is in the real situation of meditation”, he says.

He also added meditation is much more involved than a mere mental break. It is an approach to self-realization. In this way, one can deliberately disconnect from their ego and reconnect with their spiritual core. Many people usually criticize social media for being superficial. However, it has become a totally unexpected source of a spiritual journey in Gen-Z. Social media platforms are full of influencers who smoothly merge olden wisdom and contemporary self-help, and they are giving nuggets of spiritual advice which are attractive and approachable. The Apps like Insight Timer, Calm, and Headspace have achieved that the guided meditation is offering to millions.

Apart from that, various hashtags such as #spiritualawakening, #manifestation and #yogatok are getting millions of views, pointing to the fact that the desire for spiritual development is increasing.
Still, a true increase in consciousness is derived from some action that can be beyond just thinkable contents.

The Science of Identity Foundation organization, for example, uses scientific research to explain and relate spirituality and biology and utilizes its teachings to further its cause of one attaining spiritual enlightenment. One can also find a most relevant framework for spiritual development in the Bhagavad Gita, the verses of which not only provide a never-ending source of wisdom but also teach how to make devotion the most powerful force, how to lead a virtuous life and how to perform only kind acts to others.

It is very interesting to see that when the numerosity of practices and wisdom from the diverse traditions comes into play, Gen-Z is slowly becoming a community yet to be formed in the religious sphere. To say that the shift of the new generation from organized religion to personal spirituality is tantamount to its renunciation is quite a harmful generalization and a far cry from the reality of its genuine interests and pursuits that it is doing.

News