The term “spiritual” covers a vast range of beliefs and practices, from the tenets of organized religion to New Age concerns with healing crystals and latent personal energies.
While Hollywood may not seem to be the place to look for those practicing a spiritual life, you may be surprised at the diversity of faiths being actively practiced beneath those famous letters on the hill. Here are five of the most spiritual celebs right now – and how their beliefs have helped them get to where they are today.
Steven Seagal’s Buddhist Faith
The action-hero, environmentalist, and all-around icon is also a long-standing Buddhist. In fact, Seagal is so committed to his faith that in 1997, one of Tibet’s most prominent spiritual teachers proclaimed the star to be a sacred vessel of Tibetan Buddhism and the reincarnation of the lama (the honorific given to Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leaders) Chundrag Dorje.
For Seagal, his faith gives him a means to attempt to understand the world and explore ways that things could be made better. He’s been known to actively work to change the plots of movies in which he’s acted, such as The Glimmer Man, to reflect his belief that violence is not the answer. This may seem a little at odds with his action-hero status, but this is Steven Seagal. Who’s going to argue with him?
Meditation is a crucial element of the star’s practice and is a pursuit that is known to have many benefits, both for mental and physical well-being. Research has suggested that meditation can even help boost cognitive function and prevent age-related mental decline.
Kim Kardashian: Psychic Readings
This member of the Kardashian collective is open about her spiritual beliefs and regular consulting of mediums. Throughout her first pregnancy in 2012, the reality TV star had several sessions with psychics regarding the forthcoming birth, and in 2016, she took part in a reading alongside her sisters in which medium Tyler Henry. During the session, it was claimed that contact was made with Kim’s late father, Robert Kardashian.
For this celebrity, sessions with mediums and psychic readings offer the comfort of connecting with loved ones who have passed over and provide advice and guidance on both present and future circumstances. With online medium reading now becoming a popular option, more people than ever before – and not just the Hollywood glitterati – are regularly instructing the services of psychic readers.
Lady Gaga – a Smorgasbord of Spirituality
Pop star and actress Lady Gaga has previously spoken of her struggles with fibromyalgia and mental illness and how her strong spiritual connection has helped her to get through tough times and navigate the world of celebrity.
Raised a Catholic, Lady Gaga’s approach has been to embrace the spiritual wisdom at the heart of many religions, which has resulted in an inclusive, eclectic religious worldview that continues to evolve. While being open about her belief in God, the superstar has also spoken about (in interviews and in her song lyrics) things like manifesting and energy healing. For Gaga, while organized religion may fall short, personal spiritualism is a powerful and regenerative force.
Mayim Bialik – Modern Orthodox Jewish
Star of the hit series The Big Bang Theory, Mayim Bialik is a practicing Modern Orthodox Jew. This means following a kosher diet, observing Shabbat, and dressing modestly (including on the red carpet). For Bialik, who has previously joked that she knows that being religious is unlikely ever to be trendy or cool, her faith provides an important community, and debating its tenets is something she finds valuable.
In real life, the super nerd from the TV show is an actual doctor with a PhD in Neuroscience. Bialik runs a popular blog, Bialik Breakdown, which aims to dispel misunderstandings and myths about mental health. She’s also the founder of Kveller, a vegan kosher blog site that shares family-friendly recipes.
Julia Roberts: Practicing Hindu
The Hollywood actress says that she derives great “spiritual satisfaction” from her faith in Hinduism. For Roberts, the benefits are clear: she credits Hinduism with promoting her sense of self-confidence and love for all humanity, sharing how the faith stands for peace, prosperity, and eternality.
Even prior to being spotted wearing a bindi on her forehead in 2009, Roberts had a longstanding love of and fascination with yoga and felt spiritually drawn to India, the country which Hinduism derives from. Further evidence of the actress’s devotion to her faith is the name of her production company, Red Om Films. The Hindu symbol Om is traditionally held to be the syllable that contains the universe.
