As the results of the ISSP illustrate, even a crossnational survey of religion not specifically designed to study spiritual transformations sheds important light on these experiences. We have seen that personal religious change is common in many societies and especially frequent in the United States, and that the national differences in personal religious experiences are closely related to the religious traditions and current state of religious revival in the different societies. Thus, even incidents of personal, spiritual transformations are grounded in a social context, and this must be studied to understand the changes.

The ISSP also shows that personal religious changes are not isolated occurrences without consequences. Those having experienced religious change differ in both their other religious beliefs and behaviors and in many nonreligious aspects of their lives, such as psychological well-being and socializing patterns, from those who say their belief in God has been consistent throughout their lifetimes. Spiritual transformations are associated with and probably lead to these differences, as well as to many other changes in people's lives.

But much remains unknown about people's spiritual transformations. The measures on the ISSP are useful, but not comprehensive. Moreover, there is no information on factors leading to the changes or the timing and frequency of such experiences. Nor is anything known about the nature of the experiences, their form, or intensity. Finally, measures of the direct consequences of the spiritual transformations are lacking. The ISSP religion studies offer a promising start in the study of spiritual transformations around the world, but much remains to be learned.

Tom W. Smith is director of the General Social Survey, National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicago.

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