Spiritual engagement is linked to well-being, and mindfulness—paying attention to the present moment with acceptance—is increasingly recognized as important in this relationship. Mindfulness and spirituality are overlapping but distinct constructs that likely interact and support each other's growth. Both serve as key mechanisms through which mindfulness-based interventions improve wellness. Because mindfulness meditation can induce an altered state of consciousness, other methods of inducing such states may also hold therapeutic potential.
Ecstatic and mystical states, whether achieved through hyperarousal or hypoarousal, can contribute to human flourishing and a positive sense of the sacred. Fisher's model of ergotropic and trophotropic arousal provides a neurophysiological basis for these states, which minimize focus on the ego in favor of union with a larger consciousness. Such states are facilitated by various procedures and, when placed in a proper set and setting, support well-being.