Are you overlooking spiritual intimacy with your partner? Study says it’s linked to higher relationship satisfaction

Spiritual intimacy can create deeper sense of connection between partners

The researchers were interested in exploring whether sharing spiritual experiences and listening supportively, rather than simply identifying as religious, plays a meaningful role in relationship quality. The findings revealed that greater spiritual intimacy was associated with higher levels of emotional intimacy, relationship satisfaction, and commitment. These associations remained significant even after accounting for religious attendance, whether partners shared religious beliefs and other background factors.

More about the study

The researchers recruited 207 students from a university in the midwestern United States who were in dating relationships. The average length of these relationships was about 19 months. Most participants were female (83 percent), White (85 percent), and heterosexual (80 percent).

Just over half of the respondents identified as theists, while the rest were atheists, agnostics, or held other beliefs. Participants completed surveys designed to measure several key aspects of their romantic relationships. To assess spiritual intimacy, they responded to questions about how often they and their partner shared spiritual or religious experiences, doubts, or struggles and how supportive and understanding their partner was in these conversations.

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