Spiritual Intelligence: A Scoping Review with Concept Analysis on the Key to Spiritual Care

TL;DR

This paper reviews and defines spiritual intelligence as a key to spiritual care, highlighting its role in personal growth and health.

Contribution

The study provides an updated definition and analysis of spiritual intelligence using evolutionary and scoping review methods.

Findings

Spiritual intelligence includes adaptive cognition, higher consciousness, and personal growth.

Core attributes like equanimity and life-wisdom are crucial for spiritual care integration.

The concept positively influences health and humanitarian orientation.

Abstract

This study explores the concept of spiritual intelligence from an evolutionary perspective, providing a comprehensive and updated definition. A concept analysis was conducted following Rodgers’ Evolutionary Method, supported by a scoping review in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. Studies explicitly addressing spiritual intelligence, regardless of population, setting, or discipline, were included across quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, and review designs. Four databases—PsycINFO, PubMed Central, Scopus, and Web of Science—were searched for publications up to 15 December 2025, using the term “spiritual intelligence.” One-hundred-twelve articles met inclusion criteria and were analyzed through narrative synthesis and inductive analytical processing. Spiritual intelligence emerged as a construct encompassing adaptive cognition, higher consciousness, problem management, and personal growth, often referred to as Spiritual Quotient or Existential Intelligence. Antecedents included self and transcendental awareness, existential questioning, and search for meaning and purpose, while consequents comprised enhanced health, performance, self-awareness, and humanitarian orientation. Defining attributes were equanimity, life-wisdom, transcendental awareness, spiritual consciousness, meaning and purpose creation, and existential questioning. This evolutionary analysis traced the concept from theory to application, revealing its positive influence in daily life. Equanimity and life-wisdom were identified as core attributes, highlighting implications for training and integration of spiritual care in professional practice.

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