Spiritual Life After Cancer

Abstract

This article uses a mixed quantitative/qualitative design to elicit the attitudes and experience of spirituality in a group of N =11 heterogeneous cancer participants, who were interviewed regarding self-help practice. Part of this interview enquired about spirituality and was analysed separately from the larger body of data, becoming the Spiritual Interview. The authors argue for a conceptualisation of spirituality as a “will to meaning” and “connectedness.” Further, they propose that it is the integration of spiritual life that is the crucial variable in assessing spirituality. Participants demonstrated a wide diversity of attitude and experience that supports the authors' contentions.

Key Words:

• Cancer
• spirituality
• religion
• meaning
• connectedness
• integration
• self-help