title: Spiritual experiences of transcendence in patients with advanced cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Spirituality encompasses a wide range of meanings between holistic wellbeing and mysticism. We explored advanced cancer patients' spiritual experiences of transcendence.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 251 patients with advanced cancer were included and observed (participant observation) over 12 months by a psycho-oncologist/music-therapist. She recorded and documented patients' spontaneously expressed spiritual experiences during hospitalisation. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was applied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  135 patients communicated a spiritual experience, as expressed by altered body-awareness, less pain, less anxiety, higher acceptance of illness/death, new spiritual identity. Spiritual experiences were communicated by patients across different religious affiliations/attitudes. We identified types of spiritual experiences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The occurrence of spiritual experiences seems to be frequent and associated with profound, powerful reactions. Our results indicate that experienced-based spiritual care may complement current needs-based approaches.
authors.affiliation: Psycho-oncology, Oncology, Cantonal Hospital, St Gallen, Switzerland monika.renz@kssg.ch.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Renz
authors.affiliation: Psycho-oncology, Oncology, Cantonal Hospital, St Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M Schuett
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Oncology, Cantonal Hospital, St Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Omlin
authors.affiliation: Palliative Center, Cantonal Hospital, St Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bueche
authors.affiliation: Oncology, Cantonal Hospital, St Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cerny
authors.affiliation: Oncological Palliative Medicine, Cantonal Hospital, St Gallen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Strasser
mesh_terms: D001293:Attitude to Death; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003142:Communication; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology; D010327:Pastoral Care; D029181:Spirituality
keywords: connectedness; empathy; music therapy; mysticism; palliative care; spiritual care; spirituality; transcendence