Abstract
Humans seek to address existential concerns and strive for equanimity in light of potential threats. Across the (non)religious spectrum, people long for existential comfort and satisfaction—namely, they experience spiritual yearning (Wilt, Van Tongeren, et al., 2026). Across five studies (i.e., four experiments, one longitudinal study; N = 5,791), we examined the existential functions of spiritual yearning. Studies 1-3 (n = 462, n = 922, n = 988) revealed that threats to meaning led to greater reported spiritual yearning to the degree people felt existentially insecure. Study 4 (n = 424) demonstrated longitudinally how spiritual yearning was affected by the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. To clarify inconsistent small effects, an internal mini-meta-analysis revealed a modest yet significant effect of existential threats on spiritual yearning. Study 5 (n = 2,995) provided evidence that fulfilled spiritual yearnings enhance existential security, whereas unfulfilled yearnings undermine security. Spiritual yearning may serve existential functions.