Analyzing Perceptual Differences in Spiritual Language Through the Eye Beginning with the Image

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47679/jopp.7311932025

Keywords:

Spiritual Language, Perceptual Differences, Caregivers, Spirituality, Attachment Theory, Eye-tracking, Bilingualism.

Abstract

This research study explores the interrelationship between early attachment to primary caregivers, language acquisition, and spiritual development. It examines how key models of language acquisition—Behaviorist, Innate, and Interactionist—contribute to our understanding of linguistic development while highlighting their limitations in addressing the cultural and emotional aspects of language. The study posits that linguistic and spiritual development are interdependent, emerging as universal human capacities. Two core hypotheses are proposed: (1) secure early attachments positively influence spiritual expression later in life, and (2) bilingual individuals experience spirituality differently depending on the language used. To investigate these hypotheses, the study will employ eye-tracking technology to measure physiological responses to spiritual language, offering a more objective alternative to self-reported data. Furthermore, the study will analyze perceptual differences using languages from distinct families—Georgian (Kartvelian family) and English (Indo-European family)—to explore the role of linguistic structure in shaping spiritual perception. This interdisciplinary approach seeks to uncover how preferred language influences spiritual experience, offering deeper insights into the interconnected nature of language, emotion, and spirituality.

Author Biography

Zurab Kherodinashvili, Teachers College, Columbia University (MA)

Zurab Kherodinashvili (Zuka) is the primary author for the proposed paper. He holds a degree in the Spirit-Mind-Body program from Teachers College, Columbia University. Currently, his research interests involve religio-mythological expressions within a clinical setting. More particularly, Kherodinashvili's research involves studying how spirituality may serve as a buffering component in adolescent populations. His notable contributions involve combining eye tracking technology in order to measure spirituality through physiological responses rather than subjective measures popular in modern research.

References

Alderson-Day, B., & Fernyhough, C. (2015). Inner speech: Development, cognitive functions, phenomenology, and neurobiology. Psychological Bulletin, 141(5), 931–965. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000021

Anderson, N. J., Graham, S. A., Prime, H., Jenkins, J. M., & Madigan, S. (2021). Linking quality and quantity of parental linguistic input to child language skills: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 92(2), 484–501. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13508

Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55(5), 469–480. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.5.469

Bowlby, J. (1973). Attachment and loss: Vol. 2. Separation: Anxiety and anger. Basic Books.

Bowlby, J. (1980). Attachment and loss: Vol. 3. Loss: Sadness and depression. Basic Books.

Bowlby, J. (1982). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment (2nd ed.). Basic Books. (Original work published 1969)

Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base: Parent-child attachment and healthy human development. Basic Books.

Bruderer, A. G., Danielson, D. K., Kandhadai, P., & Werker, J. F. (2015). Sensorimotor influences on speech perception in infancy. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 112(44), 13531–13536. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1508631112

Cashdan, S. (1999). The witch must die: How fairy tales shape our lives. Basic Books.

Cassibba, R., Granqvist, P., Costantini, A., & Gatto, S. (2013). Attachment and religious representations and behaviors. The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 23(2), 104–122. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508619.2013.771993

Cassidy, J., Jones, J. D., & Shaver, P. R. (2013). Contributions of attachment theory and research: A framework for future research, translation, and policy. Development and Psychopathology, 25(4, Pt. 2), 1415–1434. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579413000692

Cassidy, J., Woodhouse, S. S., Sherman, L. J., Stupica, B., & Lejuez, C. W. (2011). Enhancing infant attachment security: An examination of treatment efficacy and differential susceptibility. Development and Psychopathology, 23(1), 131–148. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579410000696

Cherniak, A. D., Polner, T. R., & Brémaud, M. (2020). Attachment to God, adult attachment, and well-being. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 12(2), 185–196. https://doi.org/10.1037/rel0000255

Chomsky, N. (1965). Aspects of the theory of syntax. MIT Press.

Conboy, B. T., Brooks, R., Meltzoff, A. N., & Kuhl, P. K. (2015). Social interaction in infants’ learning of second-language phonetics: An exploration of brain–behavior relations. Developmental Neuropsychology, 40(4), 216–229. https://doi.org/10.1080/87565641.2015.1014487

Duschinsky, R., Greco, M., & Solomon, J. (2018). Mary Ainsworth and attachment theory: Retrospect and prospect. Attachment & Human Development, 20(6), 675–689. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616734.2018.1488760

Dykas, M. J., & Cassidy, J. (2011). Attachment and the processing of social information across the life span: Theory and evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 137(1), 19–46. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021367

Eilert, D. W., & Buchheim, A. (2023). Attachment-related differences in emotion regulation in adults: A systematic review on attachment representations. Brain Sciences, 13(6), Article 884. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13060884

Godoy, L. D., Rossignoli, M. T., Delfino-Pereira, P., Garcia-Cairasco, N., & de Lima Umeoka, E. H. (2018). A comprehensive overview on stress neurobiology: Basic concepts and clinical implications. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 12, Article 127. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00127

Harris, C. L., Ayçiçeği, A., & Gleason, J. B. (2006). Taboo words and reprimands elicit greater autonomic reactivity in a first language than in a second language. Applied Psycholinguistics, 27(4), 561–579. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716406060236

Hofer, M. A. (1987). Early social relationships: A psychobiologist’s view. Child Development, 58(3), 633–647. https://doi.org/10.2307/1130203

Jethava, V., Kadish, J., Kakonge, L., & Wiseman-Hakes, C. (2022). Early attachment and the development of social communication: A neuropsychological approach. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, Article 838950. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.838950

Kidd, T., Hamer, M., & Steptoe, A. (2011). Examining the association between adult attachment style and cortisol responses to acute stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 36(6), 771–779. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2010.10.014

Kirkpatrick, L. A., & Shaver, P. R. (1990). Attachment theory and religion: Childhood attachments, religious beliefs, and conversion. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 29(3), 315–334. https://doi.org/10.2307/1386461

Kuhl, P. K. (2000). A new view of language acquisition. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 97(22), 11850–11857. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.97.22.11850

Kuhl, P. K. (2007). Is speech learning ‘gated’ by the social brain? Developmental Science, 10(1), 110–120. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7687.2007.00572.x

Lebanidze, B., & Kakabadze, S. (2023). Spoiler or facilitator? Radicalization of the Georgian Orthodox Church and its impact on societal resilience in Georgia. Religions, 14(2), Article 272. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14020272

LexTALE. (n.d.). What is LexTALE? Retrieved March 25, 2025, from https://www.lextale.com/whatislextale.html

Lindquist, K. A., MacCormack, J. K., & Shablack, H. (2015). The role of language in emotion: Predictions from psychological constructionism. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, Article 444. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00444

Lindquist, K. A., Satpute, A. B., & Gendron, M. (2015). Does language do more than communicate emotion? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 24(2), 99–108. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721414553440

Loetz, C., Müller, J., Frick, E., Petersen, Y., Hvidt, N. C., & Mauer, C. (2013). Attachment theory and spirituality: Two threads converging in palliative care? Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013, Article 740291. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/740291

Lucchetti, G., Koenig, H. G., & Lucchetti, A. L. G. (2021). Spirituality, religiousness, and mental health: A review of the current scientific evidence. World Journal of Clinical Cases, 9(26), 7620–7631. https://doi.org/10.12998/wjcc.v9.i26.7620

Majolo, M., Gomes, W. B., & DeCastro, T. G. (2023). Self-consciousness and self-awareness: Associations between stable and transitory levels of evidence. Behavioral Sciences, 13(2), Article 117. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13020117

Maxwell, R. W., & Katyal, S. (2022). Characteristics of Kundalini-related sensory, motor, and affective experiences during Tantric yoga meditation. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 863091. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.863091

Miller, L., Wickramaratne, P., Gameroff, M. J., Sage, M., Tenke, C. E., & Weissman, M. M. (2012). Religiosity and major depression in adults at high risk: A ten-year prospective study. American Journal of Psychiatry, 169(1), 89–94. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2011.10121823

Miner, M. (2009). The impact of child-parent attachment, attachment to God and religious orientation on psychological adjustment. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 37(2), 114–124. https://doi.org/10.1177/009164710903700203

Mohamad Nor, N., & Ab Rashid, R. (2018). A review of theoretical perspectives on language learning and acquisition. Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences, 39(1), 161–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.kjss.2017.12.012

Mortillaro, M., & Dukes, D. (2018). Jumping for joy: The importance of the body and of dynamics in the expression and recognition of positive emotions. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, Article 763. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00763

Mota-Rojas, D., Marcet-Rius, M., Domínguez-Oliva, A., Buenhombre, J., Daza-Cardona, E. A., Lezama-García, K., Olmos-

Hernández, A., Verduzco-Mendoza, A., & Bienboire-Frosini, C. (2023). Parental behavior and newborn attachment in birds: Life history traits and endocrine responses. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article 1183554. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1183554

Nabilah, N., Salguero García, D., Kondaveeti, S. B., Batra, H. S., Viktor, P., Jamali, M. C., Wei, C. R., Bhuiyan, J. R., Mudhafar, M., Khalaf, O. M., Syrmos, N., Roy, S., Matyakubovich, A. M., Afrin, S., & Rezwan Ahemd Mahedi, M. (2024). Examining the interplay of psychological factors in chronic skin disease: A review on depression, anxiety, and stress. Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology, 17(4), 1902–1908. https://doi.org/10.52711/0974-360X.2024.00302

Naeem, N., Zanca, R. M., Weinstein, S., Urquieta, A., Sosa, A., Yu, B., & Sullivan, R. M. (2022). The neurobiology of infant attachment-trauma and disruption of parent–infant interactions. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 16, Article 882464. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2022.882464

Nook, E. C., Ahn, H. E., Schleider, J. L., & Somerville, L. H. (2025). Emotion regulation is associated with increases in linguistic measures of both psychological distancing and abstractness. Affective Science, 6(1), 63–76. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42761-024-00269-7

Paley, B., & Hajal, N. J. (2022). Conceptualizing emotion regulation and coregulation as family-level phenomena. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 25(1), 19–43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-022-00378-4

Papagno, C. (2022). The neural correlates of abstract and concrete words. In G. Miceli, P. Bartolomeo, & V. Navarro (Eds.), Handbook of clinical neurology: Vol. 187. The temporal lobe (pp. 263–275). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-823493-8.00018-3

Pargament, K. I. (1997). The psychology of religion and coping: Theory, research, practice. Guilford Press.

Pargament, K. I. (2013). Searching for the sacred: Toward a nonreductionistic theory of spirituality. In K. I. Pargament, J. J. Exline, & J. W. Jones (Eds.), APA handbook of psychology, religion, and spirituality: Vol. 1. Context, theory, and research (pp. 257–273). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/14045-014

Pearce, M. J., Koenig, H. G., Robins, C. J., Nelson, B., Shaw, S. F., Cohen, H. J., & King, M. B. (2015). Religiously integrated cognitive behavioral therapy: A new method of treatment for major depression in patients with chronic medical illness. Psychotherapy, 52(1), 56–66. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0036448

Pew Research Center. (2017, May 10). Religious belief and national belonging in Central and Eastern Europe. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2017/05/10/religious-belief-and-national-belonging-in-central-and-eastern-europe/

Prochazkova, E., & Kret, M. E. (2017). Connecting minds and sharing emotions through mimicry: A neurocognitive model of emotional contagion. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 80, 99–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.05.013

Pulvermüller, F. (2013). How neurons make meaning: Brain mechanisms for embodied and abstract-symbolic semantics. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 17(9), 458–470. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2013.06.004

Romeo, R. R., Leonard, J. A., Robinson, S. T., West, M. R., Mackey, A. P., Rowe, M. L., & Gabrieli, J. D. E. (2018). Beyond the 30-million-word gap: Children’s conversational exposure is associated with language-related brain function. Psychological Science, 29(5), 700–710. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797617742725

Roy, S., Banerjee, A., Roy, C., Nag, S., Sanyal, S., Sengupta, R., & Ghosh, D. (2021). Brain response to color stimuli: An EEG study with nonlinear approach. Cognitive Neurodynamics, 15(6), 1023–1053. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11571-021-09692-z

Sarem, S. N., & Shirzadi, Y. (2014). A critical review of the interactionist approach to second language acquisition. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research, 1(1), 62–74.

Schaffer, H. R. (1986). Child psychology: The future. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 27(6), 761–779. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.1986.tb00200.x

Smith, K., & Kirby, S. (2008). Cultural evolution: Implications for understanding the human language faculty and its evolution. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 363(1509), 3591–3603. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2008.0145

Stanisławski, K. (2019). The coping circumplex model: An integrative model of the structure of coping with stress. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, Article 694. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00694

Suomi, S. J. (2008). Attachment in rhesus monkeys. In J. Cassidy & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications (2nd ed., pp. 173–191). Guilford Press.

Tang, E., & Ding, H. (2024). Emotion effects in second language processing: Evidence from eye movements in natural sentence reading. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 27(3), 460–479. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728923000718

Vidrine-Isbell, B. (2017). Language attachment theory: The possibilities of cross-language relationships. In P. Portanova, J. M. Rifenburg, & D. Roen (Eds.), Contemporary perspectives on cognition and writing (pp. 95–114). The WAC Clearinghouse; University Press of Colorado. https://doi.org/10.37514/PER-B.2017.0032.2.05

Vrtička, P., & Vuilleumier, P. (2012). Neuroscience of human social interactions and adult attachment style. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 6, Article 212. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2012.00212

White, R., & Wild, J. (2016). “Why” or “how”: The effect of concrete versus abstract processing on intrusive memories following analogue trauma. Behavior Therapy, 47(3), 404–415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2016.02.004

Wingenbach, T. S. H., Brosnan, M., Pfaltz, M. C., Peyk, P., & Ashwin, C. (2020). Perception of discrete emotions in others: Evidence for distinct facial mimicry patterns. Scientific Reports, 10(1), Article 4692. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-61563-5

Zhang, H., Gross, J., De Dreu, C., & Ma, Y. (2019). Oxytocin promotes coordinated out-group attack during intergroup conflict in humans. eLife, 8, Article e40698. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.40698

Downloads

Published

2025-08-06

How to Cite

Kherodinashvili, Z. (2025). Analyzing Perceptual Differences in Spiritual Language Through the Eye Beginning with the Image. Journal of Psychological Perspective, 7(3), 203–214. https://doi.org/10.47679/jopp.7311932025

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 3 (2025)

Section

Empirical Research

Citation Check

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Zurab Kherodinashvili

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Journal of Psychological Perspective (JOPP) is committed to promoting academic freedom and open access. To that end, we apply a copyright policy that empowers authors while ensuring the broad dissemination and responsible reuse of published work. More...

 

Similar Articles

1 2 3 4 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.