The Templeton Charity Foundation doesn’t apologize for going big on the topic of forgiveness.

The organization hosted a webinar this week focused on the topic and results of the largest-ever study of forgiveness as it relates to mental health to contribute to the Global Mental Health movement, using data from a variety of countries.

“Over the past 25 years there has been such amazing progress on the study of forgiveness and now we think it is time to accelerate this virtuous cycle of science to practice to impact because of the pressing challenges that we face,” Andrew Serazin, president of Templeton World Charity foundation, said to introduce the webinar. “Specifically, we believe that greater knowledge about and practice of forgiveness can be a powerful tool to combat the growing polarization of our society. It can help rebuild trust, common purpose and empathy among different peoples.”

The Templeton Charity Foundation is an organization that has funded scientific research into human flourishing for years and has turned the results of such research into accessible tools for practical, everyday use. The organization loosely defines human flourishing as “a broad concept that can include many dimensions of physical, mental, social, and spiritual wellbeing. Flourishing connotes growth, resilience, and progress.”

In partnership with the John Templeton Foundation, Templeton Charity conducted the world’s largest randomized control trial on forgiveness. The $10 million dollar study was conducted from Feb. 11, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021, in five countries with a recent history of sociopolitical conflict: Ukraine, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Colombia and South Africa. Participants were at least 18 years old and had some experience with interpersonal conflict.

The tangible goals of the study were to scale up evidence-based psychoeducational REACH forgiveness group treatments and campaigns and to make the results and techniques more transportable.

Previous studies on the topic have shown that the habitual practice of forgiveness is directly related to lower levels of anxiety and depression, as well as reduced substance abuse and higher self-esteem. Other studies have shown that practicing forgiveness results in a greater sense of hope and greater capacities for conflict management and coping with stress. 

The main tool that the foundation’s research has produced is a self-directed forgiveness workbook, which details exercises and techniques that elucidate a practical, step-by-step progress to reaching forgiveness mindfully. The workbook’s main goal is to explain and help put into practice the REACH forgiveness model. The workbook is available in Spanish, English, Indonesian, Mandarin and Ukrainian. 

“To try to increase the applicability and dissemination of the REACH model, we were looking at forgiveness workbook interventions,” Tyler VanderWeele, director of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University, said. “In this particular trial. we aimed to distill these principles of the REACH forgiveness model into a workbook that could be self-directed and done within 2-3 hours of work. So what we wanted to examine is whether a simple, self-directed, 2-hour forgiveness workbook could be effective not just at promoting forgiveness but reducing mental illness.”

The REACH model is an acronym, with each letter standing for a step to reach emotional forgiveness:

R: Recall the hurt. Face that you have been hurt, but make a decision to forgive and not pursue retaliation.

E: Empathize with your partner. Work to understand why you may have been wronged, allowing you to heal from hurt and give forgiveness.

A: Altruistic gift. Forgive unselfishly .

C: Commit. Write a note to yourself about who you forgave to help the forgiveness last.

H: Hold on to your forgiveness.

While the concept of what forgiveness entails precisely seems to vary by region and people group, a part of the foundation’s research suggests that it can be broadly categorized as “a process in which positive other-oriented affective responses (e.g., compassion or love) supplant the negative affective responses that characterize unforgiveness (e.g., vengeful or avoidant motives, anger, and fear) and are associated with stress.”

What previous researchers and the Templeton experts agree on is that practicing forgiveness has immense benefits for psychological, spiritual and even physical health.

Research has shown, for example, that forgiveness has a direct correlation with lower cortisol levels in the bloodstream and affects many systems in the body, from the nervous system to the gastrointestinal system. The foundation’s research and trials have yielded extremely positive results.

“Because of these powerful effects and because these workbooks can be easily disseminated, I think the public health implications of this work are potentially profound,” VanderWeele said. “These workbooks clearly affect forgiveness but also affect mental health. The experience of being wronged is common, and because we can use these forgiveness workbooks to address issues of mental health as well, I think they could be considered supplementary interventions in clinical contexts to deal with anxiety and depression and could be distributed in community, national and international settings to try to promote both forgiveness and mental health.”

For VanderWeele, future “forgiveness campaigns” based on these findings could have a profound impact in ending ill will towards others, soothing hatred, bringing reconciliation and leading to the love of one’s enemy on an ever-growing social and political scale. However, the REACH model and workbook also have their limitations.

“I think it’s important to realize what (the model) is and what it is not. It’s not intended to be a permanent cure for unforgiveness or for mental health problems,” Everett Worthington, professor emeritus at Virginia Commonwealth University said. “It’s also not intended to be psychotherapy. So if what someone really needs is intense psychotherapy, this is actually not something that I would recommend.”

“This instead is a public health and a mental health workbook that can produce forgiveness and reduce depression and anxiety, and stimulate flourishing,” he said. “And not only that, but it is something that is repeatable, so it can help people to become more trait-forgiving.”

Different site directors implemented different twists on the forgiveness research and workbook trials in their respective countries or communities of study. 

“We not only implemented (the REACH model) with university students but we also wanted to see if this method actually works with war survivors because Colombia is a country that is undergoing a transition toward peace for over 50 years. These are vulnerable communities that desperately need these sort of approaches,” Andrea Ortega Bechara, from Universidad del Sinú, said. 

“It turned out to be very successful,” she added. “What we found is that the REACH method is not only effective for a community at a university, which is students, professors, and employees, but that the method was also effective for war survivors. So we were able to prove that regardless of background, the method was effective.

Ortega said the campaign in Colombia shows that “not only doctors but also community workers and therapists can use the REACH workbook as a complementary treatment for anxiety or depression.” 

Corroborating the results in Colombia, studies in Indonesia, a country of over 280 million people and over 300 ethnic groups, show similar results. While forgiveness is a present cultural value in Indonesia’s community and relationship-oriented culture, the trials helped foster the growth of genuine, emotional forgiveness as opposed to commonplace, empty, decisional forgiveness. 

“We have a lack of trained psychologists (in Indonesia),” Ni Made Taganing Kurniati of Universitas Gunadarma said. “Also, there are negative stigmas to have a mental health problem and seeking out help.”

Kurinati also noted the close relationship that genuine forgiveness has in the religious sphere, especially in religions such as Christianity.

“For Christians, forgiveness is a core value, and the process to promote forgiveness in therapy such as inducing love, inducing compassion, and giving an altruistic gift conforms to Christian teachings and practices.”

Rafa Oliveira is an intern with ReligionUnplugged.com covering technology and religion. He is a recent graduate of The King’s College in New York City with a degree in politics, philosophy and economics. He speaks Portuguese, English and Spanish and is an ardent Manchester United Supporter.