Abstract
Most psychologists accept that ways of thinking affect well-being. The idea that beliefs are important to human functioning is not new, nor an idea restricted to the discipline of psychology. What the term 'belief' actually means in the psychological context is often constrained by the choice of researchers' and therapists' theoretical or philosophical stance. There are certain popular beliefs that are widely held, yet knowledge of these popular beliefs seldom informs approaches to understanding and optimising human function in scholarly psychological literature. A study of such beliefs is necessary to provide a better, fuller understanding of how human beliefs and actions help people cope in the world. The contemporary popular version of a belief in angels will be used as the working example in this chapter.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Consequentiality VII |
| Subtitle of host publication | Mythology, Theology, Ontology |
| Editors | Dena Hurst |
| Place of Publication | Tallahassee, Florida |
| Publisher | EHC Inc |
| Pages | 235-248 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Volume | Vol. 2 |
| Edition | 14 |
| ISBN (Print) | 0976263017 |
| Publication status | Published - 2006 |