Introduction to a Special Issue on Prayer and Communication With the Divine, the Sacred, the Departed, and the Demonic in Spiritually Oriented Therapy

Abstract

Since the dawn of time, people from around the globe have tried to communicate with the divine, the sacred, the saints, and deceased ancestors, family, and friends. Most people have prayed and many have reported experiences that make them believe that communication with the immaterial spirit world, broadly defined, is possible. Given the universality of these behaviors, beliefs, and practices, it is surprising that the psychological literature on these phenomena is so limited. The purpose of this special issue is to explore available research and practice in this area that may be useful for researchers and clinicians a like in their work with those impacted by attempts to communicate with those who are unseen. We hope that this issue will stimulate further research and writing about this topic to move the literature forward in an evidence based manner.