Towards a Definition ofSpirituality

By Rev. Dr. Case VinkCoordinator of Pastor Care, Teaching Supervisor

Royal Alexandria HospitalEdmonton, AB

Presented at the ARCAPPE Association DaysOctober 17, 2003

Banff High Country InnBanff, AB

© Case Vink October 2003

Towards a Definition ofSpirituality

Your definitionExploring a societalshiftReflectingIntegratingEmerging Definition

My Definition of Spirituality

Imagine yourself in a patient/client situationwhere that person suddenly asks you:

“So what is spirituality anyway?”

Spirituality: A Cornucopia ofMeanings

Out of body expericencesYoga pathsChannelingAngelsThe healing power of artThe birth of white buffaloUFO sightingsalternative medicinenatural investing

Leftovers

Spirituality is “Whatever is left over when thedoctor, social worker, psychologist,community education officer or psychiatristhave had a go”.

(C. Sherlock; The Doctrine of Humanity. Leicester:IVP, 1996; 222.)

One thing leads to another

Spirituality

Religion

Harold Koenig“Physicians can take a spiritual history - findout whether religious or spiritual beliefs areused to cope, are evoking religious struggles,are likely to influence medical decisions orare responsible for other speical needs thattrained clergy may help with.”

(Mayo Clin Proc. 2001; 76:1189)

Reasons to Define:

The language of spirituality is found in allaspects of our societyour professional associaition and ourclinical settings are adopting the lanuagethe developing of our discipline into ahealth care professional requires it.

Exploring a Societal Shift

The hunt for theconcept of spirit inour world

September 11, 2001“Stories of Hope: Oneyear later, acelebration of theAmerican Spirit”

“We’ve chosen to tellthe stories of peoplewho…have showncourage, selflessnessand hope”

Katy Soulas’ Story

Spirithopecourageselflessnesspurpose

Research: Spiritual dimensions of amind-body group for people with severe

mental illnessUrban mental health agency began aHealthy Heart group for mentally ill innercity people because of wide-spread heartrelated problemsThey discovered that significant spiritualconcerns accompained other concernsraised by the group

(New Dimensions in Mental Health Services, 1998)

Spirituality and Religion in CanadianPsychiatric Residency Training

A research study by Andrea Grabovac and SomaGanesan, Dept. of Psychiatry, UBCQuote from King and Bushwick study whichshowed that 94% of inpatients believed spiritualhealth to be as important as physical health and77% wanted spiritual issues to be considered intheir care.Also quoted Fitchett & Burton who found that 80%of psych patients and 88% of medical patientsexpressed need for prayer

Psychiatry and Spirituality ContinuedThe American Psychiatric Association haschanged its assessment and Treatment guidelinesto include spiritualityby 2001 16 psych residency programs in the USwon awards for the spiritual component of theirprograms ranging from 12-81 hours.In Canada only 4 programs require mandatorydidactic techaing in spiritualityThis is the first article in the Canadian Journal ofPsychiatry to call for and outline a specific trainingmodule in spirituality (April 2003)

Death Du Jour

“I’m undergoingempowermentthrough spiritualawakening”

(page 113)

Dorothee SoelleThe post-Christian moral is a world ofapathy which means non-sufferingsociety has repressed pain, buriedsuffering, refusing to accpet losses orfunctional disabilities with pills, denial, anddesensing and desensitizing behaviourthrough the media.We have lost a sense of vitality

Dorothee Soelle: Suffering

“In the euqilibrium of a suffering-free state,the life curve flattens out completely so thateven joy and happiness can no longer beexperienced intensely.”

The Banner: Rev. John SukThe greatest challenge facing the people ofGod today is complacency“most of us prefer conventional wisdom tothe sharp edge of Scripture’s call to carrycrosses”“a livelier spiritual engagement with thehard questions about what it means todayto seek the kingdom first would serveJesus well”

The Avoidance of PathosAstroturf Funeral“I just don’t want her to suffer”“It’s just too hard for him to move out on hisown”Desensitization through the mediagraphically showing us suffering withoutever having to feel it.

W5: Depression

“Not an illness of mood but of sensorydeprivation…

…the tuning of your heart doesn’t resonateanymore”

The Dominican Republic: Aland of Sensations

Here, there’s much more than the Caribbeansun. Much more than a thousand goldenbeaches, much more than the rhythm ofmerengue.Here you will get the feel of life and peace,feel the movement of history, the joy of ourpeople, and the sounds of nature.Here an entire country awaits you. A land ofsensations. (Cdn Living; Oct 2002:89)

W5: Depression: “TheDisease of the New

Millenium”A 60% increase in theuse of anti-depressionmedication in the last 5years.There are 20 types ofanti-depressantsOnly 60% of patientsbenefit from anti-depressants

Reality TV

There are 5,166,922 Web site references toReality TV on Lycos“There is a fascination with seeing theaverage guy, the guy next door, inextraordinary situations” (CBS PresidentLes Moonves)

(Judy Calheiros: Voyeurism Today)

Reality TV

“What is it about ‘real life’ that has the powerto tantalize us? To interest us to such adegree? On the one hand, it is simply that itis ‘real’”“In this book (of e-mails) the readerexperiences the emotions the couple gothrough in their quest for love.”(Judy Calheiros: Voyeurism Today)

Michelle Conlin: Covers culture andworkplace issues for Buisness Week

Fans say that reality TV probes the existentialquestions of who we are and whether we canescape our psychescritics call the shows weapons of massdistraction&8230;causing us to become dumber,fatter, and more disengaged from ourselves andsocietyConlin: substituting an obsession with a contrivedreality for attention to the all too- scary global one.

Spokane TV News, May 9/03

Reports on student fight clubs whereteens pay admission to see two peoplefight in someone’s home

A Search to be Alive in OurLiving

What if it canmake you feel

alive!

Life Coachwww.coachpotatoes.ca

Move forward with intention to live the lifeof their dreamssupported, challenged, motivated andinspired as they create more fulfilling andbalanced livesclaim their own power in living a life withmeaningit’s about change and getting closer to whatyou really want from life

What’s the point of living if youcan not feel alive?

W. McSherry:1998 Nursing Standard, 13Nurses perceive spirituality to be auniversal concept that is relevant to allindividualsbecause of nursing discomfort inincorporating the topic, suggests thatnursing curriculum add the spiritualdimension of care

Multidisciplinary Definiton ofSpirituality

Hay River, NWT Regional Hospital, 1997

Spirituality is that aspect of every human being, rootedin our unique createdness which is on a sacred journeyof completeness, sometimes seeking to connect withand trust in the divine being and in oursuit of suchthings as wisdom, faith, future, love, justice, hope,meaning, forgiveness, peace and more in order to affirm who we are in essence as humanbeings and with the goal of being alive and fruitful inways that are meaningful.

Something SimplerSpirituality is the affirmation of our essentialhumanness through our search to be aliveand fruitful in meaningful ways

Toward Clarification of theMeaning of Spirituality

A concept analysis study by Ruth Tanyiusing a literature search of spiritualityspanning 30 years

Tanyi ResultsSpirituality is a phenomenon common to allIt is a multidimensional conept without anagreed upon definitionA distinction between religion andspiritualiry is warrantedSpirituality is broader concept than religionUnfolding experiences such as the loss ofsiginificant relationships may facilitatecreation of spiritual awarness andtransformaiton

Tanyi: Key aspects ofspirituality

Search for meaningwholenesspeaceindividualityharmonya biological and integral part of beinghumanway of beingan energizing force for actualizationmeaningful and extensive way ofknowning the world

Tanyi: Definiton of spiritualityA personal search for meaning and purpose in life,which may or may not be related to religion. It entailsconnection to self-chosen or religious beliefs, valuesand practices that give meaning to life, therebyinspiring and motivating individuals to achieve theiroptimal being. This connection brings faith, hope,peace and empowerment. The results are joy,forgiveness of oneself and others, awareness andacceptance of hardships and mortality, a heightenedsense of physical and emotional wellbeing, and theability to transcend beyond the infirmities of existence.

“Clinician’s Guid to Spirituality” adoctor, Bowen White and Spiritual Care

giver, John MacDougal, write

“In a culture where the fountain of youth is soughtand death denied, most people will learn less aboutliving meaningful lives and more about survivalskills, which are important but not enough. Peoplecan survive their whole life and never live it. ‘Theunexamined life is not worth living’ could berephrased to: ‘The unexamined life is not worthsurviving’. Living fully is what it is all about.”

Research: Spirituality ofpatients recovering form an

acute MISpirituality described as a life giving forceinvolved developing faith, discoveringmeaning and purpose, and giving the gift ofself.Provided inner strength, comfort, peace,wellness, wholeness, and enhancedcoping

(Journal of Holistic Nursing, Mar. 1999)

Life or No Life

A Novel IdeaIris Johansen: “Reap the Wind” p. 110

“I’ve never seen you like this,” she said bemused.“That’s because you’ve only seen me spinning mywheels. I’m basically a problem solver, and now I havea problem to solve.” He muttered, “At long last”“And you love it, don’t you? It makes you come alive.”He shrugged. “At least it makes me feel alive”

The Greater NeedsCompanionshipSoothingAuthentic interestHope and JoyIntimacy/ConnectionThe power ofconversion

Spirituality:The Search to be Alive!

Breakout Groups:First Opportunity

Share the definitions that you wrote at thebeginning

5 minutes

Breakout Groups:Second Opportunity

A sharing of ideas and aha! moments thathelp you clarify the concept of spiritualityeveryone jot down each other’s ideas

15 minutes

Breakout Groups:Third Opportunity

Develop a group definition of spiritualitywrite the definition on flip chart paper andtape it to wall

15 minutes

Breakout Groups:Fourth Opportunity

A reading of the group definitions: readwhile you wander

10 minutes