International Journal of Social Science Research (IJSSR)

Meaning-Making and Psychological Well-being in Neutral Spiritual Practices on Social Media

The rise of neutral spiritual practices on social media signifies a shift toward meaning-making frameworks that are inclusive, psychological, and free from traditional religious dogma. This qualitative study explores how three widely followed Instagram influencers— @the.holistic.psychologist, @yung_pueblo and @moonomens—construct and disseminate non-religious spiritual narratives that support psychological well-being. Using a purposive sample of 15 posts (five from each account), thematic content analysis was employed to uncover underlying psychological constructs embedded in the language, imagery, and symbolism of the posts. The findings reveal three dominant themes: (1) Meaning-Making through Reflective Insight, (2) Emotional Regulation through Therapeutic Language, and (3) Identity Reconstruction through Inclusive Metaphors. Each theme encapsulates how followers are guided to engage in introspective self-work, emotional reprocessing, and identity affirmation without reference to religious traditions. The study contributes to the psychological literature by conceptualizing neutral spirituality as a psychosocial mechanism of well-being in online contexts. Implications for mental health promotion, identity formation in pluralistic societies, and ethical considerations of para-therapeutic content are discussed. Keywords. Neutral spirituality, Psychological well-being, Meaning-making, Social media, Therapeutic language, Identity construction