I do not agree with the sceptical claim that it is impossible to conceptualise spirituality within a scientific paradigm. Our aims are to 1) provide a brief over-view of critical thinking that might form the basis for a useful definition of spirituality for research and clinical work and 2) demystify the language of spirituality for clinical practice and research.

A consideration of patients' spirituality is now regarded as an important component in compassionate service delivery in a number of medical specialities in developed countries.

However, research into the role of spirituality and health has been hampered by poorly designed studies and lack of agreement on definitions. In this review we aim to provide a concise summary of critical thinking that might form the basis for a useful definition of spirituality for research and clinical work. We first review how the terms spirituality and religion relate to each other. We then consider varieties of spirituality and spiritual experience. Finally, we suggest that our understanding of the word spirituality must be embedded in its use by ordinary speakers rather than based on an abstraction of its meaning. In this way we arrive at a definition that might aid clinicians and researchers to address these issues.
Spirituality is the new Medication !