STORIES OF SUFFERING AND GROWTH: AN INVESTIGATION OF THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF NONATTACHMENT

ABSTRACT

The Buddhist concept of nonattachment refers to a flexible engagement with experience without fixation on achieving specified outcomes. The primary focus of this study was to qualitatively examine how nonattachment and attachment are experienced in individuals identified as having very high and low levels of nonattachment. Specifically, we examined individuals’ descriptions of how their levels of nonattachment and attachment developed, and how nonattachment and attachment affect their lives, their relationships, and their understanding of personal development. Twenty-four in-depth interviews were conducted with participants (18 women, six men) aged 19 to 61 (mean = 36.20, standard deviation = 11.00), drawn from a larger sample of 1191, who scored very high or very low on nonattachment. Thematic analysis revealed highly nonattached individuals were psychologically mature, and flexibly engaged with their experiences, allowing their life to flow with minimal self-obstruction. In contrast, highly attached individuals were quite fixed in their thinking and often placed unachievable expectations on themselves and others. Interestingly, transformative suffering was crucial in the development of nonattachment, whereas unresolved experiences of suffering contributed to the development of attachment.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Richard Whitehead

Richard Whitehead is a psychotherapist and doctoral candidate at Swinburne University of Technology, studying in the field of Buddhist psychology, investigating the construct of nonattachment. Richard has published articles in the field of nonattachment and life narratives.

Glen Bates

Glen Bates is a clinical psychologist and professor of clinical psychology at Swinburne University of Technology. Glen has been a practising psychologist for more than 30 years and has published many articles investigating mental health and the role of narrative in psychological research.

Bradley Elphinstone

Bradley Elphinstone is a lecturer in psychology at Swinburne University of Technology and teaches in a range of fields including statistical methods. Brad has published in the fields of philosophy, education and psychology, and has recently focused on the role of nonattachment in human flourishing.