Signs of Spirituality - Essay Example

Spirituality has been defined by some experts as engaging in four patterns of connectedness, intrapersonally - within oneself, or interpersonally - with others or interaction with the environment, and lastly, transpersonally, or by relating with an unseen power – God (Brewer 1979). In her response to Brewer’s views, the woman was able to confirm that she had also come to the clinic seeking such a network of connectedness. She was able to interact better within herself, with the nurses at the clinic, with the environment of the care facility, and also connect with God by praying with the nurses.

The result of this feeling of connectedness the woman felt to other people and to God was that she felt healthier and experienced a feeling of well-being and peace. The feeling of connectedness made her feel less alone, and therefore and whole. This is also the view expressed by Hungleman, who directly related the state of a person’s human spirit to their state of health (Hungleman et al 1985). Therefore, one aspect of spirituality as revealed in the woman’s view and corroborated by Hungleman’s views is the interconnection between spirituality and health and how one impacts positively upon the other.

Newman (1989) has emphasized the importance of nurses praying with the patients (Shelley and Fish 1988)  and allowing them to express their spirituality as a means to promote their health and well being, reiterating the views of Hungleman that there is a positive relationship between the human spirit and a person’s health. This woman, when questioned on this aspect, also responded that she felt soothed and happy by praying with the nurses because she was able to ascend into a higher dimension through the feeling of connectedness she experienced with her spiritual self.

On the basis of this interview with one sick woman at the clinic, I conclude that spirituality may best be defined as the understanding of the link between the human spirit and health. Therefore, true spirituality may be defined as a person’s interactions on four dimensions with the end result being the ability to transcend into a higher spiritual plane. These four dimensions are interpersonal, intrapersonal, transpersonal and the interaction with the environment. Through the development of this network of connectedness, a sick person is able to transcend ordinary life and gain energy and vitality to move into a higher spiritual plane which also produces a corresponding degree of improvement in the person’s health.