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In the Final Analysis: More Wisdom From People Who Have Faced Death
Author(s) -
Kinnier Richard T.,
Tribbensee Nancy E.,
Rose Cynthia A.,
Vaughan Susan M.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of counseling and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.805
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1556-6676
pISSN - 0748-9633
DOI - 10.1002/j.1556-6676.2001.tb01957.x
Subject(s) - spirituality , grounded theory , materialism , qualitative research , psychology , social psychology , sociology , social science , epistemology , alternative medicine , medicine , philosophy , pathology
Seventeen adults who experienced a life‐threatening situation were interviewed to ascertain what they had learned about life from their confrontation with death. Interview questions focused on participants' philosophies of life, their personal regrets and priorities, and their advice to others. Interviews were analyzed using qualitative grounded theory and discovery‐oriented techniques. Among the most common themes, the participants advocated less materialism, more spirituality, and more caring for and serving of others. After their confrontation with death they worried less about mundane issues and became more optimistic about the future of humankind. Implications for research and practice are discussed.