Belief, Imagination and Religion: A Complex Trajectory in Relation to Mental and Social Health

Religious beliefs and practices, especially in the form of prayer and meditation, have always utilised imagination. Yet, since imagination takes us beyond mundane reality and can accept truth beyond lay logic, religious and spiritual experiences have often been designated as mental derangement. Additionally, undeniably, religion has often become the cause of intercommunity hatred. In this backdrop, the present article examines the possible points of argument between the believers and non-believers in God, and categorises these arguments in terms of their strength and role. A brief review of the empirical evidence of the relationship between religious belief and mental and social health highlights its ambiguity. Therefore, emphasis should be given to understanding the factors mediating this relationship. One such factor might be imagination operating in most religious and spiritual efforts. The possible contribution of imagination to religious belief and experiences has been discussed. The need for research in this emerging domain is highlighted.