The role of finding a spiritual position in the experience of existential anxiety

This study explores the relationship between existential anxiety, spiritual quest, and the formation of an individual's spiritual position. The research aims to construct an integrative theoretical model that reveals how the certainty of a spiritual worldview influences the intensity of experiencing and coping with anxiety stemming from the confrontation with the givens of human existence. The main objectives of the study include: 1) a comparative analysis of the severity of existential anxiety and the specifics of its experience in individuals with varying degrees of spiritual stance formation; 2) examining the role of existential anxiety as a factor intensifying the process of spiritual quest; 3) identifying the specifics of coping with existential anxiety at different stages of the individual's spiritual self-determination process. The empirical base of the study consists of data from interviews with people who have completed the process of spiritual quest and those who are currently in the active phase of exploring the spiritual dimension of reality. As a result of the qualitative analysis of the obtained data, the main patterns of interaction between existential anxiety and the process of an individual's spiritual formation were identified. The results of the study showed that: 1) the confrontation with existential anxiety is indeed a powerful catalyst for the intensification of spiritual quest; 2) the presence of a formed spiritual stance is associated with a less intense experience of existential anxiety and more effective coping with it, compared to the situation of spiritual uncertainty; 3) people who are in the process of active spiritual seeking are characterized by an increased level of existential anxiety due to the lack of a stable value foundation. The obtained data formed the basis for constructing a holistic theoretical model that reveals the complex dynamics of the relationship between existential anxiety, the process of spiritual self-determination, and the certainty of an individual's spiritual position.