Cancer - death sentence or opportunity? The experience of transformation in individuals with diverse religious or spiritual backgrounds
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2004
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Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative study was to provide an answer to the question: How do individuals with different religious or spiritual backgrounds experience transformation in the aftermath of a cancer diagnosis? The hope was to portray aspects of the after-treatment phase with a focus on the experience of personal growth, development and transformation in individuals with diverse spiritual backgrounds.
The findings revealed that the transformation experienced by these women was not only of a similar nature, but touched on values that can be characterized as lived spirituality. They were a sense of self-appreciation, an increased desire to serve others, and a feeling of universal interconnectedness. All of these had a positive impact on self-care, relationships with self, others, and with a higher power. Despite the turmoil that had been part of the journey, the lives of my co-researchers were more meaningful, peaceful, and fulfilling.
Findings from the study have the potential to argue for a sensitization of those in the helping professions regarding issues of personal, developmental, and spiritual needs of clients. Considerations may also be given to the creation of a new language regarding the cancer experience, one that is more conducive to the exploration of the potential for personal growth and transformation.
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Bibliography: p. 178-193
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Citation
Breitling, B. M. (2004). Cancer - death sentence or opportunity? The experience of transformation in individuals with diverse religious or spiritual backgrounds (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/22768