Enhancing Life at the End of Life: Spiritual experiences in music therapy at the end of life, from the perspective of two music therapists.
Author
Oribe, Jaione
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2016
Submitted on
2016-05-30
Pages
140
Abstract
Musikterapi bruges i stigende grad i palliativ omsorg for at støtte både kropslige, følelsesmæssige og åndelige behov hos mennesker med livstruende sygdom. Samtidig fylder åndelig omsorg mere i sundhedsvæsenet, især i livets sidste fase. Dette speciale undersøger åndelige oplevelser i musikterapi ved livets afslutning. Det er et kvalitativt studie, der søger at forstå, hvordan musikterapeuter gennem musik kan facilitere åndelige oplevelser hos mennesker med uhelbredelig sygdom. Metoden er to semistrukturerede interviews med musikterapeuter med stor erfaring i palliativt arbejde, efterfulgt af en analyse af interviewteksterne. Analysen har en hermeneutisk (fortolkende) tilgang og kombinerer både en deduktiv tilgang (med udgangspunkt i eksisterende begreber) og en induktiv tilgang (hvor temaer opstår af materialet). Resultaterne beskriver spiritualitet som en gennemgående dimension i mennesket og åndelig oplevelse som en oplevelse af forbindelse, som musikterapi kan nå og styrke. Musikterapi vurderes som en meningsfuld intervention i et tværfagligt team, der tilbyder en helhedsorienteret omsorg. Studiet peger på, at der kan ske en form for åndelig opvågning, når mennesker med fremskreden sygdom nærmer sig døden, og at det derfor er relevant at adressere åndelige temaer. Ifølge fundene er musikterapeuten den vigtigste faktor i at skabe åndelige oplevelser i sessionerne; derfor er der brug for musikterapeuter med åndelig bevidsthed. Samtidig har selve musikken en iboende åndelig kraft, fordi den gør det lettere at udtrykke sig og kommunikere. Samlet set kan musikterapeutens kvaliteter og musikkens natur hjælpe mennesker til at opleve forbindelse og mening i en livsfase præget af tab. Specialet viser, at musikterapi kan styrke livet ved livets afslutning.
Music therapy is increasingly used in palliative care to support the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of people with terminal illness. At the same time, spiritual care is gaining importance in health care, especially at the end of life. This thesis examines spiritual experiences in music therapy at the end of life. It is a qualitative study that seeks to understand how music therapists facilitate spiritual experiences through music with people who are incurably ill. The method consists of two semi-structured interviews with music therapists who have extensive end-of-life experience, followed by analysis of the interview texts. The analysis takes a hermeneutical (interpretive) perspective and combines a deductive approach (using existing concepts) with an inductive approach (allowing themes to emerge from the material). The findings describe spirituality as a cross-cutting dimension of personhood and spiritual experience as a sense of connection that music therapy can reach and nurture. Music therapy is valued as a therapeutic intervention within an interdisciplinary team that offers holistic care. The study suggests that, as people with advanced disease approach death, a kind of spiritual awakening can occur, making it relevant and meaningful to address spiritual concerns. According to the findings, in music therapy sessions the therapist is the most important factor in enabling spiritual experiences; therefore, spiritually aware music therapists are needed. At the same time, music itself has an intrinsic spiritual power because it enables expression and communication. Together, the therapist’s qualities and the nature of music can help people experience connection and meaning in a stage of life marked by loss. The study argues that music therapy can help enhance life at the end of life.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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