Spiritual Bypass in the Religious Life of Muslims: A Narrative Literature Review on Spirituality as a Mechanism for Avoiding Psychological Issues

Abstract

Spirituality and religiosity are widely recognized as psychological resources that support well-being. However, transpersonal psychology indicates that spiritual practices may also be used defensively to avoid unresolved psychological issues, a phenomenon known as spiritual bypass. This article maps the concept of spiritual bypass and examines its relevance to Muslim religious life through a narrative literature review. Literature published mainly between 2016 and 2026 was retrieved from Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed/PMC, Garuda, and Sinta, alongside foundational conceptual works. The review covered the development and measurement of spiritual bypass, cross-cultural research, studies involving Muslim populations, and Islamic religious coping practices such as dhikr, sabr, and tawakkul. The findings indicate that research explicitly connecting spiritual bypass with Islamic religious practices remains limited. Existing Islamic psychology studies tend to emphasize the adaptive functions of religious practices and rarely examine their possible defensive use. The article proposes an integrative framework in which spiritual bypass may emerge when Islamic spirituality is used prematurely or defensively, with religious literalism, mental health stigma, social support, and theological understandings of divine decree as contextual moderators. The review offers a conceptual basis for future empirical research and culturally sensitive, Islamically informed counseling.