49: Spirituality and Health. A conversation with Stuart Nelson.

What happens when people are provided a place and the space to ask questions about their lives that, up until that point, they assumed could not be explored? Maybe nothing, or perhaps life takes on new meaning. When have you been able to question the meaning systems of your life freely, that each tends to possess enormous influence, but that also may have been adopted from others close to you? As a child, Stuart moved all over the world, encountering new experiences and foreign territory, which positions him to have a unique lens through which to see everyday experience. On some level, these early experiences guided him into graduate studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, under the renowned Dr. Anne Taves, for his studies in religion and cognitive sciences. There, and under her guidance, he began to integrate different academic systems and philosophies of thought, further broadening and strengthening his pursuit of the mysterious and meaningful. Stuart Nelson is the vice president of The Institute for Spirituality and Health (ISH), a nonprofit located in the medical center of Houston. The mission of I.S.H. is to explore the various gaps between spirituality, religious practice, health, and healing. Stuart mines multiple theories and methods found primarily within the humanities with the belief that these theories reveal immense, untapped value for the health care industry, business practices, legal concerns, nonprofits, and other professional settings. Bio: Stuart Nelson has served as the Institute for Spirituality and Health’s Vice-President for the past six years. In this capacity, he uses his training in both the sciences and the humanities to creatively organize and execute a broad range of programs and services, as well as to help manage the Institute's long term vision, strategic plan, and general operations. Stuart grew up in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, attending international schools until college. He earned bachelor's degrees in cognitive science, religious studies, and psychology from Rice University. During this time, he realized that the scholarly study of religion has tremendous potential to inform and compliment health systems. He completed a masters in religious studies at UC Santa Barbara, where he used theories and methods from cognitive science of religion to inform work at the intersection between religious identity and mental health. This passion extends to his current work. Stuart enjoys hip-hop, classic rock, and classical Indian music, as well as impressionism, surrealism, and modern art. Additionally, he is an avid birder. https://www.spiritualityandhealth.org Theme music provided by: http://www.modernnationsmusic.com Band of the Week: Sound Team Music Page: https://music.apple.com/us/album/movie-monster/715976598 Learn more about this project at: http://www.thesacredspeaks.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesacredspeaks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesacredspeaks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesacredspeaks/