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Abstract

Many clients cope with the consequences of transformative life experience (TLE) in psychotherapy. TLE often involves a radical, profound reorganization of or change in one’s life because of resulting formative, life-changing choices. Yet the essence of the mechanism people use to process and make sense of a TLE is unclear. This study is a phenomenological exploration of such experiences that aims to offer a heuristic theoretical view of how such change is constructed and played out. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 120 adults who had coped with the consequences of a TLE. Data analysis was guided by a hermeneutic phenomenology paradigm that postulates that people account for their experience within the four existentials of temporality, spatiality, corporality (embodiment), and relationality. Those lifeworld existentials were utilized as a framework and lens through which to organize the data. This procedure was followed by a hermeneutical interpretation to identify common features of lived experience along all four domains of analysis with the purpose of constructing a conceptual model that illustrates the essence of change during TLE. Implications are considered for utilizing theoretical and applied insights from the model.

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... The issue of existential anxiety and its implications for the way one experiences their reality is dramatized within the context of a TLE, where one's social order is forever changed in the midst of a definitive event (Russo-Netzer & Davidov, 2020). TLEs may include a host of events, such as adversity or trauma (Calhoun & Tedeschi, 2006;Linley & Joseph, 2004), bereavement (e.g., Polatinsky & Esprey, 2000), severe and terminal illness (e.g., Hefferon et al., 2009), and violence or terrorism (e.g., Williams, 2007). ...
... Transformative learning (e.g., Cranton, 1996;Mezirow, 1996), thus, generally refers to the process of effecting change in frames of reference through critical reflection on underlying beliefs, habits of mind or points of view, or through an intuitive and emotional process (Dirkx et al., 2006). In a broader sense, previous research suggests that such events may shake one's worldview and provide an opportunity for schema reconstruction, a new narrative about life goals, and a (Calhoun & Tedeschi, 2006;Russo-Netzer & Davidov, 2020;Russo-Netzer & Moran, 2017). PTG can develop in forms of increased appreciation of life, improved relationships with others, new possibilities, an enhanced sense of personal strength, and spiritual change and development (Marshall et al., 2015;Tallman et al., 2010). ...
Article
The purpose of this study is to offer a systematic phenomenological approach to explore existential anxiety, typically defined as the experience of becoming aware of the universal concerns including death, meaninglessness, freedom and loneliness. It focuses on in-depth exploration of Transformative Life Experiences (TLE), events which often induce radical and profound reorganization of one’s life. Data was collected through in-depth interviews with 150 adults who self-identified and accounted for a TLE in their lives. Data analysis was guided by a hermeneutic phenomenology paradigm that postulates that people account for their experience within the four lifeworld existentials of temporality, spatiality, corporality (embodiment), and relationality. A heuristic model was developed as an attempt to bridge the gap between the theoretical notion of existential anxiety and how it is subjectively experienced by interviewees. Implications of the model for further research and practice are discussed, particularly the ability to identify a dominant universal concern, even when implicit, based on an exploration of one's subjective account of TLE.
... The problem of existential fear and its influence on how a person experiences his reality is dramatized in the context of a transformative life experience, where someone's lifestyle changes forever at the time of a certain event [15]. A transformative life experience can include many events, such as adversity or trauma [16] bereavement, severe and incurable diseases, violence or terrorism [16]. ...
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... Так, по мнению Park & Song (1995), возникновение экзистенциальных страхов связано с переживанием травмирующего опыта (потерей близких, тяжелой болезнью, насилием или терроризмом), который влияет на основные ценности и убеждения человека (Тиллих 1995). Такой опыт активизирует механизмы копинга или психологических защит, помогая человеку справиться с травмой (Davidov & Russo-Netzer, 2021, Russo-Netzer & Davidov, 2020. Lake & Rothchild (1996) причиной актуализации экзистенциальных страхов считают межкультурное проникновение, когда различия в религии, традициях и социальных нормах приводят к конфликтам из-за ощущения угрозы для существования группы. ...
Article
Introduction. The article deals with the problem of the growth of high-intensity fears among adolescents over the past year, and their identification with the help of its own psychodiagnostic technique. The study fills the lack of scientific works on studying the manifestation of fears in adolescents of the older age group. Purpose. To carry out approbation of the author's questionnaire-questionnaire "Peculiarities of actualization of existential fears of a personality", consisting of closed and open-ended questions, taking into account the difference between this methodology and other methods aimed at studying actual fears of a personality. Materials and Methods. The study was conducted with the involvement of high school students as respondents, a total of 98 people took part in the study. As a result of the study it was found that all boys and girls aged 15-17 have fears, but their distribution in terms of number, frequency and intensity differs in different gender groups. To confirm the adequacy of the integrative indicator "fear intensity", the methods "Life Satisfaction Scale" and "Death Anxiety Scale" were used. The Mann-Whitney U-criterion was used to confirm the reliability of differences between groups. Results. Content analysis of the open questions of the author's questionnaire-questionnaire made it possible to identify factors influencing the emergence and development of fears, their frequency and intensity, ways to overcome fears and understanding of the negative impact of high-intensity frequent fears by adolescents, as well as their need for professional psychological help. Discussion. This technique can be used as a screening tool to identify the frequency and intensity of fears in different gender and age groups, used for different purposes, including the identification of persons in need of further psychologically corrective work, which will prevent the development of existential fears of high intensity or reduce the intensity of these fears, which, in turn, will help to avoid distress associated with pathological fears, leading to possible personality maladaptation.
... Although education undoubtedly passes on critical knowledge that underpins rational decision-making and thereby informs and shapes behaviour, social scientists have questioned whether the addition of information in itself is sufficient to sustainably alter human behaviour (Luetz et al. 2020;Sapolsky 2018). Literary analysis suggests that group conformity or social norms, the desire to imitate others, transformative life experiences, and emotional positivity associated with change are more relevant than merely adding information through education (Russo-Netzer and Davidov 2020;Sapolsky 2018;Segar 2015;Segar et al. 2007). Similarly, Kelly and Barker (2016) have cautioned from a medical perspective that merely "giving people information does not make them change" (p. ...
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A review of the contemporary Australian church reveals a spiritual malaise in which passive learning has become the main staple for many church members or attendees. This sense is heightened by demographic trends over the last fifty years that reflect a sustained decline in Australians identifying as religious. Although commitment to Christianity is seemingly softening, this sociodemographic picture is contraindicated by other research that reflects a growing hunger for spirituality among many Australians. Given this disparity, there is an opportunity to re-examine pertinent understandings of spiritual growth. In the literature, notions of spiritual growth are conceptualised by a variety of definitions and operationalised by a range of tools and practices. Analysis suggests that many models are limited by linearity, passivity, and reductionism and do not adequately resonate with the complexities inherent in spiritual growth. This literature review extends previous research by examining the state of the art in relation to spiritual growth. The paper converges around the synthesis that heutagogy and coaching are effective twin strategies that may direct self-determined learning towards enhanced spiritual growth. This paper conceptualises opportunities for future research and thereby lays the foundation for an important emergent research agenda. This article charts pertinent perspectives and prospects.
... Some personal change processes are volitional, such as in psychotherapy (e.g., Prochaska, 1999), while others are less intentional, such as radical or intense change due to conversion (Zinnbauer & Pargament, 1998) and what has been referred to as quantum change, a radical and profound personal transformation triggered by an insightful realization (Miller & C'de Baca, 2001) or trauma (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996). In addition, life transitions and adversities can catalyze changes in individuals' beliefs and values (Laura A King et al., 2000) and may serve, for some, as turning points that alter their trajectory (Fiori et al., 2004;Russo-Netzer & Davidov, 2020). Positive experiences, such as peak or flow experiences, in which people lose a sense of self because they are fully integrated in an activity or mission, can also function as life-altering events (e.g., Calhoun & Tedeschi, 2006;Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). ...
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An increasingly large body of research in social psychology has underscored the power of brief situational interventions in promoting purposeful change. The present research contributes to the literature on positive psychology interventions (PPIs) by testing a novel volitional intervention that encourages people to engage in activities ‘outside their comfort zone.’ Participants were randomly assigned either to a condition that encouraged them to engage in an activity outside of their comfort zone over the following two weeks or to a control condition that encouraged them to keep a record of their daily activities. The intervention boosted the life satisfaction of people who were relatively less happy at baseline, with exploratory analyses tentatively suggesting benefits strongest among people who went outside their comfort zone by helping others. Discussion centers on the potential of behavioral ‘stretch’ interventions to promote positive change and well�being among people dissatisfied with their life.
... Some personal change processes are volitional, such as in psychotherapy (e.g., Prochaska, 1999), while others are less intentional, such as radical or intense change due to conversion (Zinnbauer & Pargament, 1998) and what has been referred to as quantum change, a radical and profound personal transformation triggered by an insightful realization (Miller & C'de Baca, 2001) or trauma (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996). In addition, life transitions and adversities can catalyze changes in individuals' beliefs and values (Laura A King et al., 2000) and may serve, for some, as turning points that alter their trajectory (Fiori et al., 2004;Russo-Netzer & Davidov, 2020). Positive experiences, such as peak or flow experiences, in which people lose a sense of self because they are fully integrated in an activity or mission, can also function as life-altering events (e.g., Calhoun & Tedeschi, 2006;Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). ...
Article
An increasingly large body of research in social psychology has underscored the power of brief situational interventions in promoting purposeful change. The present research contributes to the literature on positive psychology interventions (PPIs) by testing a novel volitional intervention that encourages people to engage in activities “outside their comfort zone.” Participants were randomly assigned either to a condition that encouraged them to engage in an activity outside of their comfort zone over the following two weeks or to a control condition that encouraged them to keep a record of their daily activities. The intervention boosted the life satisfaction of people who were relatively less happy at baseline, with exploratory analyses tentatively suggesting benefits strongest among people who went outside their comfort zone by helping others. Discussion centers on the potential of behavioral "stretch" interventions to promote positive change and well-being among people dissatisfied with their life.
Chapter
International negotiation is a complex field that involves multiple perspectives related to psychological, sociological, cultural, political, and economic issues. Such challenges may require an integrative framework that takes into account various points of view. This chapter integrates the perspectives of logotherapy and rational emotive behavior therapy into a comprehensive model, inspired by the cognitive model of psychotherapy within the frame of international negotiation and conflict resolution (Aquilar and Galluccio, Psychological processes in international negotiations: theoretical and practical perspectives. Springer, New York, 2008). The integration of logotherapeutic concepts such as freedom of choice, meaning, responsibility, and self-transcendence have the potential to augment the rational-emotive-behavior framework by strengthening capacities for survival, resilience, wisdom, and growth in face of adversity. The proposed integrative model for international negotiations aims to promote an optimal mindset and to offer new insights for the negotiation process and training.
Thesis
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Chapter
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Chapter
Researchers who plan to utilize the methodological approach of hermeneutical phenomenology must first understand the philosophical assumptions that provide the epistemological foundation for this methodology. The objective of this chapter is to present a set of resources for instructors of research methodology coursework, specifically instructors who aim to introduce students to the research methodology of hermeneutical phenomenological inquiry. The core philosophical concepts discussed in this chapter are 1) the phenomenological attitude, 2) hermeneutics as way of being, 3) the four lifeworld existentials, and 4) the significance of mood. This chapter will begin by presenting a brief summary of these four philosophical concepts. Then, this chapter will introduce three frameworks of curriculum theory, specifically as related to the use of curricular objectives in the practice of teaching. Finally, this chapter will present five distinct approaches to lesson planning and will apply each lesson planning approach to the teaching of these four core philosophical concepts.
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Chapter
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Chapter
The Phenomenology of Everyday Life presents results from a rigorous qualitative approach to the psychological study of everyday human activities and experiences. This book does not replace scientific observation with humanistic analysis, but provides an additional perspective on significant human questions. The qualitative approach this book employs is grounded in the philosophical traditions of existentialism and phenomenology, which use dialogue as their major method of inquiry. These traditions are especially well adapted to encompass and describe human events and activities. In addition, such events can be properly investigated only on the basis of a method sensitive enough to articulate the nuances of human experience and reflection. In this latter regard, it is important to note that insights deriving from literature and the humanities are equally revealing of the human world as those from experimental psychology, biology or medicine.
Chapter
The central significance of intersubjectivity was already made clear by Husserl in the first volume of Ideen 1 on the occasion of an analysis of the natural attitude. The objective, spatio-temporal reality of a surrounding world (Umwelt), accepted not only by me but also by other ego-subjects (Ich-Subjekte), is taken for granted without question as an element of the general thesis (Generalthese) of the natural attitude. It is part of this general thesis that other ego-subjects are apprehended as fellow-men (Nebenmenschen) who have consciousness of the objective world as I do in spite of differences in perspectives and in degrees of clarity. It is also taken for granted that we can communicate with one another (Par. 29). How, in the frame of the natural attitude, is mutual understanding (Einverständnis) in principle possible? The answer given by Husserl in Ideen I (Par. 53), on the occasion of the preparatory analyses of pure consciousness, refers to the experience of a Unking of consciousness and body (Leib) to form a natural, empirical unity by means of which consciousness is located in the space and time of nature, and which, in acts of “empathy,” makes possible reciprocal understanding between animate subjects belonging to one world.
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Book
Cover Blurb: Researching Lived Experience introduces an approach to qualitative research methodology in education and related fields that is distinct from traditional approaches derived from the behavioral or natural sciences—an approach rooted in the “everyday lived experience” of human beings in educational situations. Rather than relying on abstract generalizations and theories, van Manen offers an alternative that taps the unique nature of each human situation. The book offers detailed methodological explications and practical examples of hermeneutic-phenomenological inquiry. It shows how to orient oneself to human experience in education and how to construct a textual question which evokes a fundamental sense of wonder, and it provides a broad and systematic set of approaches for gaining experiential material that forms the basis for textual reflections. Van Manen also discusses the part played by language in educational research, and the importance of pursuing human science research critically as a semiotic writing practice. He focuses on the methodological function of anecdotal narrative in human science research, and offers methods for structuring the research text in relation to the particular kinds of questions being studied. Finally, van Manen argues that the choice of research method is itself a pedagogic commitment and that it shows how one stands in life as an educator.
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This study examined the nature of spiritual conversion in a sample of 130 Christian college students. More specifically, this study offered a definition of spiritual conversion and tested it by comparing the ways in which spiritual conversion differs from both gradual increases in religiousness, and from no religious change. Spiritual converts, nonconverts who increased in religiousness gradually, and religious adherents who did not experience religious change were selected using a screening questionnaire. A questionnaire battery was used in the assessment of the research questions, and was supplemented with 10 interviews which provided personal examples of the students'religious experiences. There were significant differences between the religious change groups and the group not experiencing religious change in terms of their pre-change experiences, post-change experiences, and amount of pre-post change. However, the study did not strongly differentiate between spiritual converts and nonconverts who had experienced religious change. The theoretical implications of these results were discussed.
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Objective The aim of this study is to examine the relationships among demographic, medical, and psychosocial factors and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and post-traumatic growth (PTG) in oncology populations.MethodA systematic search identified k = 116 relevant studies published between 1990 and 2012. Meta-analyses synthesized results from studies that reported data on correlates of PTSS (k = 26) or PTG (k = 48). A meta-analysis was performed for k = 5 studies reporting the correlation between PTSS and PTG.ResultsPost-traumatic stress symptoms were associated with depression (r = 0.56), anxiety (r = 0.65), distress (r = 0.62), social support (r = −0.33), and physical quality of life (r = −0.44). PTG was associated with age (r = −0.08), gender (r = −0.15), distress (r = −0.16), depression (r = −0.06), social support (r = 0.30), optimism (r = 0.27), positive reappraisal (r = 0.46), spirituality (r = 0.33), and religious coping (r = 0.36). There was a small positive relationship between PTSS and PTG (r = 0.13).Conclusions Post-traumatic stress symptoms and PTG appear to be independent constructs, rather than opposite ends of a single dimension. This is reflected in a small relationship between these variables and different psychosocial correlates. PTSS were strongly associated with variables reflecting a general state of negative affect. Optimism, spirituality, and positive coping styles were associated with PTG. It remains unclear how they are associated with PTSS, given the lack of relevant studies. Longitudinal research is required to examine how psychosocial factors influence the relationship between PTSS and PTG.
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Building on diverse influences from critical perspectives in vocational psychology and the relational movement in contemporary psychological discourse, this article introduces the relational theory of working. Attending to the full array of people who work and who want to work, the relational theory conceptualizes working as an inherently relational act. A relational theory provides a framework for understanding ways in which working is embedded in external and internal relational contexts. To establish the conceptual infrastructure for the relational theory, several propositions are advanced, which summarize observations and inferences about the intersection of working and relationships and highlight the inherent relational context of working. The article concludes with implications for practice, policy, and research.
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Phenomenology is a philosophical movement that approaches the study of human beings and their culture differently from the logical positivist model used in the natural sciences and in special education. phenomenologists view the application of the logical positivist model to the study of human beings as inappropriate because the model does not address the uniqueness of human life. in this article, the theroetical assumptions and methodological orientations of phenomenology are discussed, followed by their applications to ways of doing research in special education.
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This article explicates, in a concrete, step-by-step manner, some procedures that can be followed in phenomenologically analyzing interview data. It also addresses a number of issues that are raised in relation to phenomenological research.
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In this paper we present a prototype approach to awe. We suggest that two appraisals are central and are present in all clear cases of awe: perceived vastness, and a need for accommodation, defined as an inability to assimilate an experience into current mental structures. Five additional appraisals account for variation in the hedonic tone of awe experiences: threat, beauty, exceptional ability, virtue, and the supernatural. We derive this perspective from a review of what has been written about awe in religion, philosophy, sociology, and psychology, and then we apply this perspective to an analysis of awe and related states such as admiration, elevation, and the epiphanic experience.
Article
This paper reflects on the development of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) as one particular qualitative approach to psychology. After a brief introduction to IPA, the paper outlines what can be described as its characteristic features: idiographic, inductive, interrogative, illustrating each feature with examples from studies which have been conducted with IPA. The paper then considers the different levels of interpretation, which are possible with IPA and discusses the notion of when an interpretation is ‘good enough’. It goes on to consider issues around the types of topics for which IPA is suitable and the emerging pattern of work using the approach. The next section considers how IPA studies can widen the type of participants included and also examines the suitability of different data collection methods. The paper finishes by bringing together some thoughts on the future development of IPA.
Article
Phenomenology in the modern sense of the term is dated from 1900 when E. Husserl published Logical Investigations (1900/1970), although the phenomenological method itself was not explicitly practiced in that work. It was in Ideas I (1913/1983) that Husserl made the method explicit. It is important to appreciate that to make phenomenological claims in the strongest sense one would have to use some version of the phenomenological method, along with certain other key procedures. That is why the authors first present the philosophcal method as articulated by Husserl, and immediately following, they articulate a scientific version of the phenomenological method. Next, the specific procedures of the phenomenological method are explained, with an example of an analysis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Article
Existential psychotherapy arose spontaneously in the minds and works of a number of psychologists and psychiatrists in Europe in the 1940s and 1950s who were concerned with finding a way of understanding human beings that was more reliable and more basic than the then-current psychotherapies. The "existential orientation in psychiatry," wrote Ludwig Binswanger, "arose from dissatisfaction with the prevailing efforts to gain scientific understanding in psychiatry" (1956, p. 144). These existential therapists believed drives in Freudian psychology, conditioning in behaviorism, and archetypes in Jungianism all had their own significance. But where was the actual, immediate person to whom these things were happening? Are we seeing patients as they really are, or are we simply seeing a projection of our theories about them? These therapists were keenly aware that we are living in an age of transition, when almost every human being feels alienated from fellow humans, threatened by nuclear war and economic upsets, perplexed by the radical changes in marriage and almost all other mores in our culture--in short, almost everyone is beset by anxiety. Existential psychotherapy is not a specific technical approach that presents a new set of rules for therapy. It asks deep questions about the nature of the human being and the nature of anxiety, despair, grief, loneliness, isolation, and anomie. It also deals centrally with the questions of creativity and love. Out of the understanding of the meaning of these human experiences, existential psychotherapists have devised methods of therapy that do not fall into the common error of distorting human beings in the very effort of trying to help them. Topics covered in this chapter include history, personality, psychotherapy, and applications. A case example of a 50-year-old male is presented. An annotated bibliography and case readings are provided at the end of the chapter. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Article
What the mental health field now needs most is an adequate theory of behavior change. The field needs a theory that can help explain how people change within and between therapy sessions. The field needs to know how people change before therapy begins, after it ends, and when therapy never occurs. Topics include: stages of change (precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, termination); phases of planned interventions (recruitment, retention, progress, process); and integrating the process of change with common factors (outcomes and impacts). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Article
Emphasizing the individual's perception of self and the external world as critical factors in the understanding of behavior and experience, this collection introduces existential phenomenology as a philosophical and methodological alternative to the more traditional approaches to psychology. The 1st readings are organized to present the basics for understanding existential phenomenology and to show how these research methodologies are applied to psychological issues. Further selections elucidate the theoretical conceptions, research methods, and/or clinical applications of different existential-phenomenological psychologists and provide a supplementary introduction to psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Article
Explored the association between near-death experiences (NDEs) and subsequent attitude changes by administering a life attitude profile questionnaire assessing 7 categories of attitudes to 20 female and 8 male 31–75 yr olds who had had a self-defined NDE. The questionnaire was designed to determine (1) whether an individual is living as he/she desires, (2) whether the individual lacks meaning in his/her life, and (3) the strength of an individual's anticipation of a meaningful existence. Ss were asked to record their perception of their attitude toward each item of the questionnaire before and after the NDE. Findings indicate that with the exception of the category of goal seeking (a measure of restlessness), each category included a significantly greater number of Ss indicating positive changes since the NDE than negative changes or no change. Data support the hypothesis that a more positive attitude toward life results from an NDE. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)