Project Director
Walker, Ruth W.
Department Examiner
Hood, Ralph W.; Huber, Thomas
Publisher
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Place of Publication
Chattanooga (Tenn.)
Abstract
Religiosity, spirituality, and mysticism centered around inclusivity may possess the potential to promote self-discovery and acceptance among those who identify as LGBTQ+. For people within this community, the journey to self-acceptance may involve embracing one’s sexual orientation and personal identity, overcoming internalized stigma and hardships, and cultivating a healthy connection with oneself (Camp et al., 2020). Prior researchers have found LGBTQ+ individuals to have a conflicted relationship with differing religious ideals and spiritual beliefs (Barton, 2010; Kubicek et al., 2009). For some within this population, religion, spirituality, and mysticism may be sources of benefit, enabling a sense of strength and comfort. Some others, however, may harbor negative emotions towards religious and spiritual experiences due to former trauma, discrimination, victimization, and an array of other factors (Gibbs & Goldbach, 2015). The purpose of this study is to explore how religious, spiritual, and mystical experiences may impact self-acceptance among LGBTQ+ people. Eight adult participants identifying as LGBTQ+ with prior religious, spiritual, or mystical experiences were recruited for this study. Participants were required to complete an online demographic survey and participate in an in-person interview to understand their perspectives on religious, spiritual, and mystical experiences pertaining to self-acceptance of sexual orientation and personal identity. This exploratory study investigates whether spiritual and mystical experiences may contribute to improved levels of self-acceptance within LGBTQ+ identities and orientations. Additionally, the study examines if religions lacking inclusive practices are more likely to correlate with negative experiences for LGBTQ+ individuals. Reflexive thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data. The primary themes found include the following: outness vigilance, partial disclosure of identity, loss of community, importance of community, religious trauma, the impact of religious trauma, separation of LGBTQ+ identity from religious identity, desire for religious comfort, utility of spirituality and religion, individualized spirituality, mystical openness, personal resilience, and importance of supportive networks/environments.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to Dr. Walker, Dr. Hood, and Dr. Huber for providing thoughtful guidance and mentorship along the humbling journey of developing this project.
IRB Number
IRB # 23-122
Degree
B. S.; An honors thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Bachelor of Science.
Date
5-2024
Subject
Identity (Psychology); Self-acceptance--Religious aspects; Self-actualization (Psychology)--Religious aspects; Sexual minorities; Sexual orientation--Religious aspects; Spirituality--Psychology
Discipline
Multicultural Psychology
Document Type
Theses
Extent
iii, 53 leaves
DCMI Type
Text
Language
English
Rights
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Date Available
11-2025
Recommended Citation
Hall, Makayla, "Promoting self-acceptance among LGBTQ+ individuals: Investigating the impact of religious, spiritual, and mystical experiences" (2024). Honors Theses.
https://scholar.utc.edu/honors-theses/484
Department
Dept. of Psychology