Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health, Jun 29, 2021
This article explores the significance of religious/spiritual approaches to existential issues in... more This article explores the significance of religious/spiritual approaches to existential issues in psychotherapy in Norway, with its secular, Western-European society. A content analysis of eight se...
The aim of this article is to investigate the power dynamics at play in open and announced healin... more The aim of this article is to investigate the power dynamics at play in open and announced healing practices in Norway and Madagascar. The main research question is: What characterizes the power dynamics at play in healing practices in Norway and Madagascar? We analyzed empirical material by using a power theoretical approach to describe the exercise of power. Through a study in two different ecclesial and cultural contexts, we indicate the (il)legality of exercising “power over” in healing practices, how the “power from” concept can be misused to justify a “power over” attitude – but can also moderate the use of this attitude – and how crucial it is to practice a relational, mutual interdependency.
Meaning in life has become an important topic in empirical research in the psychology of religion... more Meaning in life has become an important topic in empirical research in the psychology of religion. Although it has been studied and found applicable in many different contexts, research on meaning in life and sources of meaning in African countries is scarce. This study qualitatively investigates understandings and experiences of meaning in life and sources of meaning among urban and village dwellers with different educational backgrounds in Zambia. Seven focus group interviews (total N = 52) were conducted and analysed, drawing on Schnell’s model of meaning in life and sources of meaning. The results indicate that the concept of meaning in life is relevant to both urban and village dwellers in Zambia. Meaning experiences and sources of meaning are associated with certain life domains: relationships; religion; education and work; leisure activities; and health and survival. Each life domain includes several fundamental sources of meaning, which can be related to Schnell’s four dimen...
This article discusses how aspects of anomalous experiences can be understood in theology andpsyc... more This article discusses how aspects of anomalous experiences can be understood in theology andpsychology and investigates the premises on which dialogues between the two disciplines may faci-litate more nuanced interpretations of such experiences. Two key issues are focused on: how ano-malous experiences can be interpreted as religious experiences, and how they are connected tomental health. By relating empirical studies of anomalous experiences to interdisciplinary theoreti-cal reflections, it is argued that there is a potential in the dialogue to buffer reductionist tendenciesin the two, separate disciplines. Holding a repertoire of different interpretations on these issues isfurther considered to be beneficial in professional practice when encountering people with anoma-lous experiences.
The article presents a qualitative study on open and announced healing practices in three Christi... more The article presents a qualitative study on open and announced healing practices in three Christian Lutheran fellowships in Norway. Using observation and interviews, we explore characteristics of such healing practices and how the practices are explained and interpreted by some of the leaders involved. Practice theory and theories about power are applied abductively to analyse the material. We indicate that different power dynamics are in play between the leaders responsible for the intercessions and the participants. The leaders negotiate between positions, believing themselves to convey power from God as well as power through their own (lack of) ability to heal and control the outcome. Dialogue between the leaders and the participants is limited (power with) and we consider how this safeguards the well-being of the vulnerable participants.
Bereaved people often report having sensory and quasi-sensory experiences of the deceased (SED), ... more Bereaved people often report having sensory and quasi-sensory experiences of the deceased (SED), and there is an ongoing debate over whether SED are associated with pathology, such as grief complications. Research into these experiences has been conducted in various disciplines, including psychiatry, psychology, and anthropology, without much crossover. This review brings these areas of research together, drawing on the expertise of an interdisciplinary working group formed as part of the International Consortium for Hallucination Research (ICHR). It examines existing evidence on the phenomenology, associated factors, and impact of SED, including the role of culture, and discusses the main theories on SED and how these phenomena compare with unusual experiences in other contexts. The review concludes that the vast majority of these experiences are benign and that they should be considered in light of their biographical, relational, and sociocultural contexts.
The concept of ‘existential’, used frequently in Scandinavian healthcare journals, is associated ... more The concept of ‘existential’, used frequently in Scandinavian healthcare journals, is associated with various, often unclear, meanings, highlighting the need for a more accurate understanding of the concept. In this integrative review we analyse how the concept has been used in Scandinavian healthcare journals from 1984 to 2020, exploring the trajectory of the concept, its definitions and its applications. A secondary aim is to offer some clarity regarding how the concept may be used in future healthcare research and provide a definition of ‘existential’ based on our findings. Our findings show that while the concept is increasingly used, it is rarely defined, and there appears to be no consensus on the concept’s meaning. We categorise applications of the concept into five overarching themes: (1) Suffering and re-orientation, (2) Meaning and meaninglessness, (3) Existential philosophy in relation to health (4) Existential questions as approaches to care and (5) Usage and demarcation...
Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health, Jun 29, 2021
This article explores the significance of religious/spiritual approaches to existential issues in... more This article explores the significance of religious/spiritual approaches to existential issues in psychotherapy in Norway, with its secular, Western-European society. A content analysis of eight se...
The aim of this article is to investigate the power dynamics at play in open and announced healin... more The aim of this article is to investigate the power dynamics at play in open and announced healing practices in Norway and Madagascar. The main research question is: What characterizes the power dynamics at play in healing practices in Norway and Madagascar? We analyzed empirical material by using a power theoretical approach to describe the exercise of power. Through a study in two different ecclesial and cultural contexts, we indicate the (il)legality of exercising “power over” in healing practices, how the “power from” concept can be misused to justify a “power over” attitude – but can also moderate the use of this attitude – and how crucial it is to practice a relational, mutual interdependency.
Meaning in life has become an important topic in empirical research in the psychology of religion... more Meaning in life has become an important topic in empirical research in the psychology of religion. Although it has been studied and found applicable in many different contexts, research on meaning in life and sources of meaning in African countries is scarce. This study qualitatively investigates understandings and experiences of meaning in life and sources of meaning among urban and village dwellers with different educational backgrounds in Zambia. Seven focus group interviews (total N = 52) were conducted and analysed, drawing on Schnell’s model of meaning in life and sources of meaning. The results indicate that the concept of meaning in life is relevant to both urban and village dwellers in Zambia. Meaning experiences and sources of meaning are associated with certain life domains: relationships; religion; education and work; leisure activities; and health and survival. Each life domain includes several fundamental sources of meaning, which can be related to Schnell’s four dimen...
This article discusses how aspects of anomalous experiences can be understood in theology andpsyc... more This article discusses how aspects of anomalous experiences can be understood in theology andpsychology and investigates the premises on which dialogues between the two disciplines may faci-litate more nuanced interpretations of such experiences. Two key issues are focused on: how ano-malous experiences can be interpreted as religious experiences, and how they are connected tomental health. By relating empirical studies of anomalous experiences to interdisciplinary theoreti-cal reflections, it is argued that there is a potential in the dialogue to buffer reductionist tendenciesin the two, separate disciplines. Holding a repertoire of different interpretations on these issues isfurther considered to be beneficial in professional practice when encountering people with anoma-lous experiences.
The article presents a qualitative study on open and announced healing practices in three Christi... more The article presents a qualitative study on open and announced healing practices in three Christian Lutheran fellowships in Norway. Using observation and interviews, we explore characteristics of such healing practices and how the practices are explained and interpreted by some of the leaders involved. Practice theory and theories about power are applied abductively to analyse the material. We indicate that different power dynamics are in play between the leaders responsible for the intercessions and the participants. The leaders negotiate between positions, believing themselves to convey power from God as well as power through their own (lack of) ability to heal and control the outcome. Dialogue between the leaders and the participants is limited (power with) and we consider how this safeguards the well-being of the vulnerable participants.
Bereaved people often report having sensory and quasi-sensory experiences of the deceased (SED), ... more Bereaved people often report having sensory and quasi-sensory experiences of the deceased (SED), and there is an ongoing debate over whether SED are associated with pathology, such as grief complications. Research into these experiences has been conducted in various disciplines, including psychiatry, psychology, and anthropology, without much crossover. This review brings these areas of research together, drawing on the expertise of an interdisciplinary working group formed as part of the International Consortium for Hallucination Research (ICHR). It examines existing evidence on the phenomenology, associated factors, and impact of SED, including the role of culture, and discusses the main theories on SED and how these phenomena compare with unusual experiences in other contexts. The review concludes that the vast majority of these experiences are benign and that they should be considered in light of their biographical, relational, and sociocultural contexts.
The concept of ‘existential’, used frequently in Scandinavian healthcare journals, is associated ... more The concept of ‘existential’, used frequently in Scandinavian healthcare journals, is associated with various, often unclear, meanings, highlighting the need for a more accurate understanding of the concept. In this integrative review we analyse how the concept has been used in Scandinavian healthcare journals from 1984 to 2020, exploring the trajectory of the concept, its definitions and its applications. A secondary aim is to offer some clarity regarding how the concept may be used in future healthcare research and provide a definition of ‘existential’ based on our findings. Our findings show that while the concept is increasingly used, it is rarely defined, and there appears to be no consensus on the concept’s meaning. We categorise applications of the concept into five overarching themes: (1) Suffering and re-orientation, (2) Meaning and meaninglessness, (3) Existential philosophy in relation to health (4) Existential questions as approaches to care and (5) Usage and demarcation...
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Papers by Anne Austad