Spiritual Experience Index (SEI) – REVISED (SEI-R)

Abstract

The Spiritual Experience Index – Revised (SEI-R) is a comprehensive self-report instrument developed by V. Genia (1997) designed to measure the depth, integration, and complexity of an individual’s personal spiritual life. This instrument represents a significant reformulation of the original Spiritual Experience Index (SEI), aiming to enhance psychometric rigor and broaden the scope of assessment beyond traditional institutional religiosity. The SEI-R evaluates the subjective, emotional, and behavioral dimensions of an individual’s spiritual experience, consisting of two distinct, yet related, subscales: a core measure of spiritual commitment and strength, and a measure of Spiritual Openness, which assesses flexibility and tolerance toward diverse belief systems.

Keywords

Spiritual Experience Index, SEI-R, V. Genia, spirituality, religiosity, spiritual openness, psychological measurement, faith integration, religious coping, intrinsic spirituality.

Authors

V. Genia.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the SEI-R is to provide researchers with a robust and psychometrically sound tool for assessing personal spirituality, differentiating it clearly from traditional measures of religious involvement (e.g., church attendance). Genia’s revision sought to capture the internalized and subjective nature of faith, focusing on how spiritual beliefs provide meaning and purpose, aid in coping with adversity, and shape individual identity.

Furthermore, the inclusion of the Spiritual Openness subscale serves the specific purpose of assessing the individual’s perspective on religious pluralism and tolerance. This allows for the differentiation between exclusive, fundamentalist spiritual orientations and inclusive, flexible spiritual worldviews, making the scale highly relevant for modern psychological studies examining spiritual maturity and social attitudes.

Construct

The SEI-R operationalizes spirituality as a two-dimensional psychological construct. The main scale measures Spiritual Commitment and Strength, which encompasses the affective and cognitive integration of a higher power or transcendent reality into one’s life. Key elements measured include the emotional depth of faith, the reliance on a higher power for strength, the experience of unconditional love in relation to the divine, and the conscious effort to align one’s behavior with spiritual values.

The secondary construct is Spiritual Openness. This dimension captures the degree to which an individual is receptive to new ideas, willing to challenge existing teachings, and acknowledges a shared spiritual bond with individuals from different faith traditions. Items in this subscale address attitudes toward interfaith marriage, the inherent nature of the world (good vs. evil), and the adaptability of personal spiritual beliefs.

Validity

The original publication by Genia (1997) provided strong evidence supporting the construct validity of the SEI-R. The scale demonstrated expected convergent validity by positively correlating with established measures of intrinsic religiosity, psychological well-being, and positive coping strategies. Conversely, it showed appropriate discriminant validity, exhibiting low or negligible correlations with measures of social desirability and various forms of psychopathology, confirming that it measures a unique, adaptive aspect of the human experience.

Reliability

The SEI-R exhibits high internal consistency, confirming its reliability across both subscales. Coefficient Alpha values reported in the initial validation study were typically robust, indicating that the items within each respective subscale are highly correlated and consistently measure the intended construct. The stability of the measure over time (test-retest reliability) further supports its use in longitudinal research settings.

Factor Analysis

The revision and reformulation process relied on statistical techniques, likely including Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis, to empirically substantiate the scale’s underlying structure. The results confirmed a clear two-factor model, supporting the theoretical distinction between the core Spiritual Commitment dimension (13 items) and the Spiritual Openness dimension (10 items). This factor structure ensures that researchers can analyze the depth of spiritual experience independently from the breadth of spiritual tolerance.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report psychometric scale.

Format: 23 items administered using a 6-point Likert scale, where 1= Strongly Disagree, 2= Disagree, 3= Somewhat Disagree, 4= Somewhat Agree, 5= Agree, and 6= Strongly Agree. The scoring is continuous.

Language Available: Primarily English.

Population Group: Adults and adolescents.

Age Group: Typically 18 years and older, utilized in college samples and general adult populations.

Population Details: The scale is designed for use across diverse spiritual and religious backgrounds, focusing on the subjective experience rather than adherence to specific doctrines.

Test Methodology: Standardized administration, with two subscales scored separately. Items 1, 3, 7, and 10 of the Spiritual Openness Subscale are reverse-scored to maintain scoring consistency across the subscale.

Keywords

Intrinsic spirituality, self-report measure, psychometrics, faith integration, religious coping, continuous scoring, Likert scale, Fetzer Institute, spiritual maturity.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified in the source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not specified in the source content; reference the 1997 publication for author contact information at the time of publication.

Correspondence Address: Refer to the 1997 publication in Review of Religious Research.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Test Year is 1997, marking the year of the instrument’s official revision and publication. The scale is widely used in academic research. Researchers are generally advised to consult the original author, V. Genia, or the journal publisher for formal permission regarding commercial or large-scale implementation. The instrument is publicly accessible for research purposes and is featured in the Fetzer Institute’s compilation of measures. The original PDF containing the scale items and scoring information can be downloaded here: http://www.fetzer.org/sites/default/files/images/resources/attachment/2012-10-19/MultidimensionalBooklet.pdf.

Reference’s

• Genia, V. (1997). The Spiritual Experience Index: Revision and reformulation. Review of Religious Research, 38, 344-361.

• Fetzer Institute. (n.d.). Self Report Measures for Love and Compassion Research: Spiritual Experience & Religiosity. Available online: http://www.fetzer.org/sites/default/files/images/resources/attachment/2012-10-19/MultidimensionalBooklet.pdf.

Items of the Spiritual Experience Index (SEI) – REVISED (SEI-R)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. I often feel strongly related to a power greater than myself.

2. My faith gives my life meaning and purpose.

3. My faith is a way of life.

4. I often think about issues concerning my faith.

5. My faith is an important part of my individual identity.

6. My relationship to God is experienced as unconditional love.

7. My faith helps me to confront tragedy and suffering.

8. I gain spiritual strength by trusting in a higher power.

9. My faith is often a deeply emotional experience.

10. I make a conscious effort to live in accordance with my spiritual values.

11. My faith enables me to experience forgiveness when I act against my moral conscience.

12. Sharing my faith with others is important for my spiritual growth.

13. My faith guides my whole approach to life.

Spiritual Openness Subscale

1. I believe that there is only one true faith.

2. Ideas from faiths different from my own may increase my understanding of spiritual truth.

3. One should not marry someone of a different faith.

4. I believe that the world is basically good.

5. Learning about different faiths is an important part of my spiritual development.

6. I feel a strong spiritual bond with all of humankind.

7. I never challenge the teachings of my faith.

8. My spiritual beliefs change as I encounter new ideas and experiences.

9. Persons of different faiths share a common spiritual bond.

10. I believe that the world is basically evil.