(Clockwise, from top left) Marina Weiler, PhD; Philip Cozzolino, PhD; Marieta Pehlivanova, PhD, and J. Kim Penberthy, PhD
Researchers at the University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS) bring national attention to the role of extraordinary experiences and spirituality in psychiatry through two new publications in Psychiatric Times.
The article “Psychiatry and Spirituality: Exploring the Intersections of Meaning and Mental Health” highlights growing evidence that integrating spirituality into psychiatric practice can foster resilience, improve treatment outcomes, and help patients navigate existential challenges.
In another article, titled “The Psychiatric Lens on Extraordinary Experiences: Improving Care Without Misdiagnosis,” the researchers argue that phenomena such as near-death experiences, out-of-body experiences, after-death communications, and children’s memories of past lives should not automatically be treated as signs of mental illness. Instead, they advocate for more diagnostic clarity, reducing the risk of misdiagnosis, and improving patient care.
Together, the articles emphasize how psychiatry can move beyond a narrow illness-based model toward one that validates patients’ lived experiences and supports holistic healing. By advancing these perspectives, UVA researchers are expanding the conversation on human consciousness, mental health, and the vital role of spirituality and extraordinary experiences in clinical care.
The DOPS researchers and authors of the two articles include Marina Weiler, PhD; Marieta Pehlivanova, PhD; Philip Cozzolino, PhD; and J. Kim Penberthy, PhD.
Filed Under: Research