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Psychospiritual Dimensions of Extraordinary Survival

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Nine individuals who survived their medically confirmed diagnoses of "terminal cancer" were interviewed. These people offered personal theories to account for the extraordinary results and discussed the nature of their life changes following the terminal prognoses. The similarity of responses was compelling. Survivors assumed responsibility for contracting cancer, disease outcome, and the quality of their lives. They believed that their attitudes and actions significantly influenced their illnesses. Survivors were leading fuller, freer, more meaningful lives following cancer onset. Fear and worry were greatly reduced, or even eliminated according to some. The author suggests that these profound changes may be related to their encounters with impending death. They reported an intense desire to stay alive. Life was viewed as a gift, far too precious to abandon prematurely. Survivors indicated that they cannot offer prescriptive healing formulas. They believe that seriously ill patients must discover for themselves what will be life-giving.

Men pray to their Gods for their health. They do not realize that they have the power to control it themselves.

-Democritus, fifth century, B.C.

It's not over until it's over.

-Yogi Berra, 1973 manager of the pennant-winning New York Mets

Journal of Humanistic Psychology, Vol. 29, No. 1, 59-83 (1989)
DOI: 10.1177/0022167889291005


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