← Back to catalogue
Published

spiritual practice

vr.tr.spiritual-practice · thing-q2270606

Let an agent explain spiritual practices, relay traditions, forms and research from religious studies and psychology sources with attribution, describe the named practices respectfully and flag unverified aliases, note mental health cautions and routes to support, and distinguish spiritual practices from religious doctrine, therapy, exercise and coercive group practices.

Thing Registry Activities and processes ACT.ACT
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions

Understand What a spiritual practice is.

Definition

Definition.

Definition

Definition.

  1. What is a spiritual practice, and how does it differ from doctrine, therapy, exercise and coercive group practices? definition
  2. Is someone distressed, disoriented or pressured within a practice or group, in which case support services or a clinician can help? boundary

Named

Named practices.

Named

Named.

  1. What are Dzogchen practice, maqam, kori, creative visualisation and unorthodox practices, and what might ju jing refer to? definition
  2. Which entry fits the specific practice? action
Traditions Traditions.

Buddhist

Tibetan traditions.

Buddhist

Buddhist.

  1. How do Nyingma and Bon teachers describe Dzogchen practice? provenance
  2. Which references are standard? provenance

Sufi

Sufi path.

Sufi

Sufi.

  1. How do Sufi authors describe the maqamat and ahwal? provenance
  2. Which sources are cited? provenance
Research Research and safety.

Evidence

Research.

Evidence

Evidence.

  1. What does research say about meditation and wellbeing, with findings attributed? provenance
  2. Is the presentation free of overstated claims? boundary

Risks

Adverse effects.

Risks

Risks.

  1. What adverse effects of intensive practice have researchers reported? provenance
  2. Which entry fits meditation adverse effects? action
Context Contemporary practice.

New Age

New Age practices.

New Age

New Age.

  1. What is creative visualisation, and how do critics and practitioners view it? provenance
  2. Which entry fits New Age? action

Purification

Ritual purification.

Purification

Purification.

  1. What is misogi and mizugori in Shinto and Shugendo? provenance
  2. Which entry fits misogi? action

Classifiers Filled

Family
Thing Registry
Category
Activities and processes
Entry kind
thing
Plane
ACT
Domain
ACT.ACT
Other names and narrower kinds
unorthodox religious practices, kori, ju jing, Dzogchen practice, maqam, creative visualization, review of life, Bible study, ḥāl, Buddhist devotional practices, Threefold Training, dharma combat

What it is Filled

An activity undertaken regularly to cultivate spiritual development, connection with the sacred or inner transformation, within religions or independently, including prayer, meditation, contemplation, fasting, pilgrimage and ritual, with examples the registry aliases name such as Dzogchen practice in Tibetan Buddhism and Bon, maqam, the spiritual stations of the Sufi path, kori or mizugori, Japanese cold-water purification, creative visualisation in New Age and self-help contexts and practices regarded as unorthodox by mainstream religions; the alias ju jing could not be verified. Intensive practices can sometimes affect mental health, and people experiencing distress should seek support. The model presents practices respectfully and neutrally.

Why it exists Filled

Let an agent explain spiritual practices, relay traditions, forms and research from religious studies and psychology sources with attribution, describe the named practices respectfully and flag unverified aliases, note mental health cautions and routes to support, and distinguish spiritual practices from religious doctrine, therapy, exercise and coercive group practices.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • Regular and intentional
  • Tradition-based or independent
  • Varied forms
  • Personal meaning

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • Mock, rank or disparage a person's spiritual practice or tradition.
  • Pressure someone to take up or abandon a practice.
  • Present a practice as a medical treatment or replacement for care.
  • Encourage fasting or other austerities that endanger a person's health.
  • Record or reveal a person's religious practice without consent.

Only with a human decision

  • Advising someone whose spiritual practice appears to be harming their health.

May

  • Explain spiritual practices of a stated tradition, citing that tradition's own sources.
  • Help a person keep a practice they chose, such as reminders for prayer or meditation times.

Moral aspects Filled

  • Spiritual practice is part of freedom of conscience and must be respected.
  • Some groups exploit spiritual seekers financially or psychologically.

Who is affected

  • Practitioners
  • Religious communities
  • Vulnerable seekers

Owners Filled

Steward

Nobody owns it; each tradition and practitioner holds their own practice.

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • Q1914636 - registry parent class
  • Q2110808 - registry parent class
  • Q451967 - registry parent class

related

  • religious behaviour - in registry terms
  • meditation
  • prayer
  • psychotherapy

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Vercy registry: vr.tr.spiritual-practice
  • Wikidata: Q2270606 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2270606)

Direct properties not applicable Not applicable

  • Dzogchen: Great Perfection teachings note - Nyingma and Bon
  • Sufi maqamat: stations such as repentance and trust note
  • meditation research: mixed evidence by outcome note - meta-analyses

Plane ACT: no invented physical properties.

Recognition optional Filled

  • Regular activity for spiritual development
  • Unorthodox religious practices, kori, ju jing, Dzogchen practice, maqam, creative visualisation
  • Doctrine is belief content; therapy is clinical; exercise is physical fitness; coercive practices control members
  • Not a single appearance; people praying, meditating, chanting, fasting or bathing in ritual.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • explain forms and traditions with attribution
  • relay research
  • describe named practices respectfully
  • route distress to support

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Disrespectful or dismissive framing
  • Presenting practices as medical treatment
  • Missing coercion or mental health crises in intensive settings

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • Freedom of religion laws
  • Consumer protection against fraudulent spiritual services

Context of use required Filled

  • Spiritual growth and connection.
  • prayer
  • meditation and contemplation
  • ritual purification such as mizugori
  • mystical paths such as Sufi maqamat
  • Tibetan practices such as Dzogchen
  • New Age practices such as creative visualisation

Sources Filled

  1. Wikidata item Q2270606: spiritual practice - identity and sense of the item
  2. Wikipedia: Spiritual practice - general description of the item

Open questions

  • The registry alias ju jing could not be identified and should be reviewed
  • How should religious studies sources be linked?
  • Should named practices be separate entries?

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed

Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q2270606/spec.json