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RELSPYR
Used spiritual meditation, past 12 months
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Description

RELSPYR reports whether the person had used spiritual meditation in the past 12 months. Please see the Comparability and Universe Tabs for more information on changes to the universe of this variable over time.

Spiritual meditation was defined to include Centering Prayer and Contemplative Meditation. Relaxation techniques were one of many alternative health treatment modalities included in the Complementary and Alternative Health Supplements. In some years, if sample respondents gave a positive response to RELSPYR they were asked a series of follow-up questions.

Definitions 

Beginning in 2012, the Field Representative's Manual provided the following definition:

Spiritual meditation may be performed according to the practices of one of the major religions or within a spiritual tradition. The techniques used may be the same as in other types of meditation (for example, transcendental meditation), but the focus is on spirituality (such as repeating a spiritual, meditative phrase).

Field representatives were advised to "feel free to offer [this definition] even if the respondent has not requested [it]."

Comparability

Aside from slight changes in universe and question wording, this variable is comparable over time. In 2012, sample adults and sample children aged four and older were asked whether they/the sample child had ever used meditation, guided imagery, or progressive relaxation (RELAXEV) and if they had ever used spiritual meditation for health or treatment (RELSPEV). If they indicated that they had ever used spiritual meditation for health or treatment, they were then asked whether they had used spiritual meditation in the past 12 months. In 2017, sample adults and sample children aged four and older were asked whether they/the sample child used spiritual meditation in the past 12 months without being first asked if they had ever used relaxation techniques in general or spiritual meditation specifically, or whether they used spiritual meditation for health or treatment.

Universe

  • 2012: Sample adults age 18+ and sample children age 4+ who have ever used spiritual meditation.
  • 2017: Sample adults age 18+ and sample children age 4+.

Availability

  • 2012, 2017

Weights