Religion and Spirituality in the Life of Individuals with Paraplegia: Spiritual Journey from Trauma to Spiritual Development

Year 2017, Volume: 2 Issue: 1, 89 - 110, 15.02.2017

Zeynep Şimşir , S. Tuba Boynueğri , Bülent Dilmaç

Abstract

Traumatic experiences that leave deep traces on people’s lives can lead to negative outcomes, as well as positive outcomes like maturation, growth and development. The experience known as post-traumatic growth is largely to result of one’s religious and spiritual tendencies. At the same time, traumatic experiences can lead to changes in people’s religious and spiritual lives. The aim of this research is to reveal the effects of paraplegic individuals’ religious and spiritual tendencies on their post-traumatic growth and the changes that a traumatic experience causes in one’s religious and spiritual life. The phenomenological design is used in research with a qualitative nature like this. Data were collected through interviews that were performed over 15 adults with spinal cord injuries. The obtained data were analyzed through the technique of content analysis. The themes that emerged from analysis are: ways of dealing with trauma, changes in attitudes towards God, religious practices, changes in belief in fate and an afterlife, religious participation. According to the research results, some individuals with spinal cord injuries benefit from religion and spirituality; a great majority overcome the situation by accepting it in order to cope with the traumatic experience. Many changes take place positively in these paraplegics’ religious and spiritual lives in the aftermath of their traumatic experiences, strengthening their faith in what they believe in and their ties with God. This shows that after a traumatic experience, great changes can occur in one’s religious and spiritual life.

Keywords

Post-traumatic growth, Spirituality, Religion, Paraplegia, Phenomenology

Omurilik Felci Geçiren Bireylerin Yaşamında Din ve Maneviyat: Travma ile Başa Çıkmadan Travma Sonrası Manevi Gelişime Yolculuk

Abstract

İnsanların yaşamında derin izler bırakan travmatik deneyimler olumsuz sonuçlar doğurmasının yanı sıra olgunlaşma, büyüme
ve gelişim olarak ifade edebileceğimiz olumlu sonuçlara da yol açabilmektedir. Travma sonrası gelişim olarak ifade edilen
bu deneyimin gerçekleşmesinde insanların sahip olduğu dini ve manevi eğilimlerin rolü büyüktür. Aynı zamanda geçirilen
travmatik deneyimler kişilerin dini ve manevi yaşantısında değişimlere sebep olabilmektedir. Bu araştırmanın amacı omurilik
felci geçiren bireylerin dini ve manevi eğilimlerinin travma sonrası gelişim üzerindeki etkisini ve travmatik yaşantının dini
ve manevi yaşantıda meydana getirdiği değişimleri ortaya koymaktır. Nitel bir doğaya sahip olan araştırmada fenomenoloji
deseni kullanılmıştır. Veriler görüşme yöntemi ile toplanmış ve omurilik felci olan 15 yetişkinle görüşme yapılmıştır. Elde
edilen veriler içerik analizi tekniği ile analiz edilmiştir. Analiz sonucunda ortaya çıkan temalar şunlardır: Travma ile başa çıkma
yolları, Allah’a dair tutumlarda değişim, dini pratikler, ahiret ve kader inancında değişim, dini katılım. Araştırma sonuçlarına
göre omurilik felçli bireylerden bazıları travma yaşantısı ile başa çıkmak için din ve maneviyattan faydalansa da çoğunluğu
yaşadığı durumu kabullenerek başa çıkmıştır. Yaşanan olaydan sonraki süreçte ise felçli kişilerin dini ve manevi yaşantısında
pozitif yönde pek çok değişim meydana gelmiş; inandıkları din ve Tanrıyla olan bağları güçlenmiştir. Bu durum bize travmatik
deneyimlerin ardından dini ve manevi yaşantıda büyük değişimler meydana gelebileceğini göstermiştir. 

Keywords

Travma sonrası gelişim, Maneviyat, Din, Omurilik felci, Fenomenoloji

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