The spiritual experiences of contemporary Maori in Aotearoa New Zealand: A qualitative analysis.

For Aotearoa New Zealand Maori, wairua (spirit) is an integral aspect of existence and important source of well-being. In this qualitative study, 15 Maori participants discuss their personal experiences of wairua. Inductive thematic analysis revealed a diverse range of highly meaningful spiritual experiences occur for Maori, and align with historical accounts about wairua and existing academic research on anomalous experiences. Within Maori culture socially accepted structures exist to reference anomalous experiences against, which facilitate acceptance and normalcy to such occurrences. Valuing and acknowledging Maori spirituality has tremendous therapeutic potential for addressing issues of mental well-being within Aotearoa New Zealand.