Spirituality and Religiosity—Making Sense of an Unconventional (LATT) Situation Through “A Sense of Wholeness”

This chapter explores the significance of spirituality, other metaphysical understandings, and religiosity among the LATT couples for making sense of their unconventional relationship. Critiquing mainstream paradigms in Eurocentric psychology for excluding spirituality vis-à-vis mental health, using a decolonial framework, empirically investigates awareness or indifference to the spiritual dimension of human existence. The chapter defines spirituality as a sense of higher meaning, connecting, and becoming (Fernando, 2010), considering it a valuable addition to the cognitive, emotional, and practical life. It concludes with emerging patterns of spiritual meaning, which varies for the partners in the unconventional LATT relationship, and salience of spirituality for some couples, which does not resonate with the stereotypical perception of the secular Global North and spiritual Global South. Finally, it discusses how spirituality and other metaphysical phenomena are pivotal for mental health and well-being, with health promotion implications covered in the book’s last chapter.