AppendixThe Place Spirituality Experience Scale (PSES)

The following statements concern:

i.

How you feel about your relationship with God. We are interested in how you generally experience your relationship with God, not just in what is happening in that relationship currently.

ii.

And your attachment to a place. Choose a place to which you feel emotionally attached (it may be a city, home, neighborhood, a geographic area, or a sacred/holy place).

Respond to each statement carefully and choose the option that best reflects your opinion. Write the number in the space provided, using the following rating scale:

______ 1. I feel religiously connected to this place.

______ 2. Any place where I can pray becomes a sacred/holy place for me.

______ 3. I believe that purposeful existence of the sacred/holy place makes it sacred.

______ 4. The peace and ambiance of this place deepens my religious association with the place.

______ 5. Association to a sacred/holy place strengthens my faith and helps me act morally.

______ 6. Religious beliefs associated with this place make it sacred.

______ 7. I believe that the religious history associated with a sacred/holy place is always a common guide.

______ 8. I believe that the geography (spatial features) of a sacred/holy place reflects the presence of God.

______ 9. The environment of the sacred/holy place has a positive impact on my mood.

______ 10. The religious rituals and practices associated with a sacred/holy place keep us spiritually and psychologically connected.

______ 11. I believe that visiting sacred/holy places transforms our attitude towards life and people.

______ 12. I believe that frequent visits to a holy/sacred place make anyone feel more connected to it.

______ 13. A holy/sacred place helps a person to form their identity.

______ 14. I cannot even think of losing any holy/sacred place or object.

______ 15. I believe that support from family, peers and religious leaders deepens a person’s relationship with God.

______ 16. We do petitionary prayers (Azkar) to achieve proximity to God.

______ 17. I believe that any holy/sacred place provides a sense of security.

______ 18. I am very attached to this place.

______ 19. This place is very important to me.

______ 20. I feel more comfortable at this place than any other place.

______ 21. Attachment to this place gives me a ray of hope to move forward.

______ 22. My experiences at this place have made me become attached to it.

______ 23. I mostly prefer to be present at this place.

______ 24. I feel well integrated at this place.

______ 25. I feel that I belong to this place.

______ 26. I get more satisfaction at this place than any other place.

______ 27. This place helps me understand my inner self.

______ 28. I find peace and solitude at this place.

______ 29. I believe that in response to trauma or loss, people turn to God for forgiveness.

______ 30. I believe that in response to trauma or loss, people count God’s blessings.

______ 31. I believe that increased religious participation and engagement help people to cope with traumatic experiences.

______ 32. Destruction and dishonor towards any holy or sacred places create discomfort.

______ 33. I believe that in response to trauma/loss, people usually seek forgiveness from God.

______ 34. I believe that reconciliation with God after any trauma or loss changes a person’s outlook on life.

______ 35. I believe that attachment to God after any trauma or loss gives people strength.

Scoring and Interpretation:

RAP = Religious Attachment to Place (Item Nos. 1–17)—Score Range = 17–85.

EAP = Emotional Attachment to Place (Item Nos. 18–28)—Score Range = 11–55.

AGTL = Attachment to God in Trauma and Loss (Item Nos. 29–35)—Score Range = 7–35.

PS = Total Place Spirituality Experience (Item Nos. 1–35)—Score Range = 35–175.

High scores on the total and for the subscales indicate a correspondingly high attachment or phenomenon and vice versa.