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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| On spiritual pain in the dying | | Author(s) | L H Heyse-Moore |
| Journal title | Mortality, vol 1, no 3, 1996 |
| Pages | pp 297-315 |
| Keywords | Spiritual characteristics [elderly] ; Pain ; Dying ; Terminal care. |
| Annotation | Spiritual pain in the dying is part of their total pain: physical, mental, social and spiritual. Spirit is beyond definition, but is a phenomenon that can be studied like any other. Spirit refers to inspiration, and soul to depth, though both terms are often used synonymously. Spiritual characteristics include: life force; the essence of a person (an unchanging centre, meaning, depth, the numinous, relationship and intimacy); immortality (memories, spiritual experiences and near-death experiences); and levels of consciousness. Spirituality is common to all people of any or no belief. Religious distress is about problems relating to a pre-existing set of beliefs. Spiritual pain is recognised in physical and psychological symptoms, disorders of relationships, and specifically spiritual symptoms (meaninglessness, anguish, duality and darkness). Intuition and 'bifocal vision' (using symptoms both literally and symbolically) are needed in discerning spiritual distress. Effective help involves being present (attending, relating). Facilitating this process includes listening, reminiscing, imagery, finding meaning, letting go, touch, symbolism, rituals, prayer and contemplation. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-001219221 A |
| Classmark | EX: CT7: CX: LV * |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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