When Spiritual Horizons Beckon: Recognizing Ultimate Meaning at the End of Life

Abstract

Spirituality refers to the interpretive story and ensuing values of an experience that is deeply human yet ultimately significant. Encounters with patients illustrate this “surplus of meaning.” Spiritual horizons are recognizably present in the here and now but they may not be defined. Life is larger than language. Metaphors and stories, however, do exert cognitive purchase. They make real for us what cannot otherwise be said. Suffering, personal realization (“coming to know and to be”) and liberation are discussed in the context of spiritual care and patient/carer dynamics. Attention is drawn to aspects of daily life that generally tend to be overlooked.