The lived experience of healing touch with cancer patients

Authors

Charlene Ann Christiano, Florida International UniversityFollow

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

Master of Science (MS)

Major/Program

Nursing

First Advisor's Name

Jacquelyn Hartley

First Advisor's Committee Title

Committee Chair

Second Advisor's Name

Marilyn A. Ray

Third Advisor's Name

Cynthia Fletcher

Date of Defense

7-2-1997

Abstract

The recent use of complementary therapies by cancer patients has prompted the study of the use of Healing Touch, an energy based therapy, to learn the meaning of the experience. By using Ray's Caring Inquiry, a phenomenologic-hermeneutic process, the lived experience of receiving Healing Touch was elicited from three cancer patients. Through the interactions of the Healing Touch practitioners, the cancer patient participants, and the energy in and around them, specific themes were expressed: body-physical, emotion-feeling, mental-knowing, and spirit-essence. Further abstracting lead to the metathemes sensation and perception. Through a change in consciousness, a oneness/wholeness was experienced. The unity of meaning elicited was the Rhythm of Oneness Through Energy which is the connecting, opening, and cocreating through caring, the wholeness of each to become one through rhythms of energy.

Identifier

FI14060824

Comments

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Recommended Citation

Christiano, Charlene Ann, "The lived experience of healing touch with cancer patients" (1997). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2354.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/2354