Investigating the Impact of Faith on Intrusive Thinking and Guilt

Abstract

Intrusive thoughts, experienced by over 90% of people (Hale & Clark, 2013), disrupt the normal flow of thinking and are present in both clinical and non-clinical populations. To gain greater insight into the nature of intrusive thoughts, the concept of thought-action fusion (TAF) was the focus of this study. Existing research suggests a positive correlation between religiosity and TAF, and this study hypothesized that higher religiosity would be associated with stronger TAF beliefs. In a survey of 258 individuals, a significant link was found between participants’ religiosity and their TAF morality subscale scores, indicating that participants who valued religion were also more concerned about the real-life outcomes of their thoughts. Additionally, among those with more liberal religious beliefs, a stronger centrality of religion was correlated to a stronger belief that their thoughts influenced others. These findings suggest that religious teachings emphasize concepts like “sin by thought,” which reinforces the belief that one’s thoughts hold the same moral weight as their actions. Clinicians should be aware of the role that religion plays in the mental processes of their clients, and should be equipped with the proper thought management techniques to address TAF accordingly. Furthermore, those with liberal religious beliefs may be more concerned with how their thoughts and actions impact others as opposed to those with conservative beliefs. Future research should explore how TAF is expressed across more diverse religious populations compared to one that is primarily Christian, as well as investigate additional factors, such as religious fundamentalism, that may influence TAF.