Thesis (Ph.D.)--Duquesne University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Abstract included in electronic submission form. Includes bibliographical references (p. 131-135) and index.

Thesis (M.A.)--Catholic Theological Union, 1982. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 155-157).

This research inquiry is an autobiographical exploration and elucidation of the lived-experience of Self-Transformation; Self-transformation connoting a comprehensive framework that comprises personal, professional, social and spiritual renewal. The study emphasizes a mind-body-spirit holism as the whole experiential reality of the person is considered. Thus, transformation is viewed as a psycho-spiritual process. An integral aspect of the transformation process is listening to the inner voice, “the voice of a fuller life, of a wider more comprehensive consciousness” (Jung, 1954. p. 184). The degree to which the transformation process ripens and the integration of the personality realized, seems directly contingent on the conscious listening to and actual follow through on the guidance of the inner voice (Assagioli, 1965; Jung, 1954; Sinetar, 1986; Luke, 1984). As an autobiographical inquiry, lived-experience refers to the actual living-ness of experience: becoming, indwelling, the heuristics of experience. It is about floundering in the flux, living the paradox of knowing that one does not know yet yielding into the flux and the ambiguity inherent in experiencing the phenomenon and conducting the inquiry. The analytical psychology of C.G. Jung (Collected Works, 1953–1979) is used as the main theoretical framework in which to ground a psychology of transformation. The phenomenon of Self-transformation is termed the process of individuation (Jung, 1959), spiritual psychosynthesis or Self-realization (Assagioli, 1965), and spiritual emergence (Grof and Grof, 1989). Individuation is viewed as an evolutionary growth process. As a lifelong existential project, it entails undergoing several rounds on the transformation spiral—ongoing, punctuated episodes of personal transition and psychological shifts in consciousness, in which we go through the process of passage between one life phase and the next in a cyclical pattern of death and rebirth (Bridges, 1980). Sharp (1991) says that individuation is a process of psychological differentiation informed by the archetypal ideal of wholeness, the Self, which relies on an vital relationship between the ego and the unconscious; the goal being the development of the in-dividual personality. Jung (1966) viewed individuation as an internal, subjective process of integration and a process of self-and-collective synergy. The synthesis of both these processes constitutes wholeness. How this process manifests as lived-experience is the focus of this inquiry. The phenomenon is elucidated by employing and blending two modes of inquiry, heuristics (Moustakas, 1990) and autobiography as in Allport's (1942) idiographic research, both components of a qualitative (interpretive) methodology. The six phases of heuristic research, (initial engagement, immersion, incubation, illumination, explication and creative synthesis), are naturally operative within the transformation process and are used to describe the unfolding of the inquiry process and the lived-experience, and as the means for data collection and analysis. Analysis of the autobiographic data revealed the following salient features of the transformation process—a renaissance call to wholeness (premonition phase), light bows to darkness (holistic disintegration), the unformed silence (excursion into the abyss), awakening of the heart (illumination and initiation into rebirth), and return to innocence (a second dark night of the soul and a deeper integrative synthesis). These stages entail overlapping and divergent psychological processes that illuminate a unique pattern inherent in the renewal process. Implications for professional practice, education and research are discussed, including a call for a broader conceptual framework that encompasses the spiritual as integral to the healing and educating of lives. / Graduate

Recent literature has challenged traditional views of women's development of self . Many scholars have suggested that the traditional concept of self-as-autonomous being does not reflect women's experiences. Further, it has been suggested that for women who are mothers the conceptualization of self-as-autonomous is particularly questionable. With no other apparent research existing to illuminate the nature and experience of self-definition for women who are mothers, this study addressed the question: "What is the experience of defining self for women who are mothers?". A human caring methodology which integrated elements of interpretive phenomenology and feminist inquiry was employed to explore this research question. Seven women who were actively engaged in motherhood participated in the study. Data gathering involved two individual interviews with each of the participants and concluded with the women participating in a focus group where the preliminary findings were discussed. The study revealed two interrelated aspects including, (a) a description of the nature of self, and (b) the ongoing process of defining self. The nature of self consisted of three themes. The themes which arose were: (a) self as a multiplicity of parts, (b) self as a relational process, and (c) self as a synthesis. The process of defining self consisted of three phases: (a) non-reflective doing, (b) living in the shadows, and (c) reclaiming and discovering self. Each of these phases were continually experienced with different ones dominating at varying times and in varying situations. Within each of the phases, a number of themes were described and illuminated. The study pointed to the definition and their experience of health in addressing the implications for practice, therefore, a framework for health promoting practice to support women's process of self–definition was developed. / Graduate

M.Phil. / People are continuously engaged in a striving towards meaning and purpose. This endeavor is one towards personal leadership and answering questions like "Who am I" and "Who can I become". The drive towards self-actualisation runs parallel with the striving to belong and to form close attachments with others. This essay will focus on the interpersonal dimension of personal leadership. The emphasis is on how being able to create effective relationships is important in order to move towards a life of purpose and fulfillment. During the course of the essayoit becomes clear that developing and maintaining caring and committed relationships is the most important aspect of life. It is primarily through the quality of relationships that people form with others that meaning is to be found. The essay provides insights into the type of relationships people should strive for and determines that close and open relationships are where most personal growth and fulfillment is experienced. People have the freedom of choice to decide on the quality of the relationships that they want to create. Implicit in this is that the ability to create meaningful interactions with others rests within each individual. People often define success in society through the accumulation of material wealth and status. The importance of relationships is often taken for granted. This essay explores how relationships contribute towards personal growth, quality of life and career success. Many people, in their striving towards meaning, develop the self in isolation to the development of their relationships. This leads to a self-focused, narcissistic existence with unfulfilling relationships. Conversely, people may form attachments with others without fully developing their own identity and sense of self. They then have less of their own potential to contribute towards their relationship. This essay sheds light on how individuals, through developing the self and enhancing their own potential, can bring their relationships to full potential. The emphasis is on how personal leadership and growth starts from the inside out. The essay aims to provide guidance on the personal leadership characteristics needed by the individual in order to experience relationships that enhance the development of both the self and others. People have the potential to create their own quality relationships. This is achieved through the endowments of selfawareness, imagination, independent will and integrity.

The central aim of this study was to contribute to the clarification of the nature of self-insight in psychotherapy by means of a qualitative research design. A pilot study provided direction by suggesting a psychologically relevant focus that was experientially specific; that is, the kind of therapeutic self-insight that carries a greater sense of freedom. A phenomenological research method was used to describe and interpret in depth the experiences of eight clients who had been in psychotherapy. Their experiences were explicated to yield a psychologically relevant general description of the phenomenon. The results indicated ten central constituents of the experience. Such themes included, amongst others, the role of language in providing perspective, the increased understanding of personal agency, the achievement of a more complex self-image, and the ability to express existing desires and motives within a more flexible or creative behavioural context. The general description also indicated how phenomena such as memory, feeling, motive, metaphor, dreams and present behaviour interact in the co-constitution of this kind of therapeutic self-insight. After dialoguing the results of the study with relevant literature, the thesis concluded with reflections on the intrinsic value of therapeutic self-insight, as revealed in this study, in relation to the spirit of technology.

A qualitative empirical phenomenological study was undertaken to determine the self-experience of procrastinating behaviour. Five students each gave an account of an occasion when they procrastinated. The resultant protocols were analysed and the Situated Structure of each individual’s experience was reported. From these, the General Structure of procrastinating behaviour was determined. A further, novel step was added to the standard methodology, whereby ‘themes’ were extracted from participant protocols and a ‘Composite Reality’ of everyday-life procrastination was rendered. Participants’ accounts suggest they are concerned the results of intellectual tasks they undertake will be seen as equivalent to their quality of being-as-an-individual: poor work results will be interpreted by important-others as evidence of participants’ poor quality of self – which is to be avoided. This study suggests that procrastination is a ploy used by individuals to avoid criticism, by deflecting assessment of their capacity to complete a task well, to instead, what they are capable of when only a limited time is available. Conclusions drawn by the important-others of participants’ true ability are thereby confounded. The results achieved in the phenomenological study were compared with others originating from various quantitative studies, and considerable overlap was found. The experiential richness of the phenomenological results point to a worthwhile methodological strategy for future procrastination research.

M.Phil. / The hypothesis of the research essay was that people experience a lack of meaning or purpose in their lives. The general aim of this research essay was to define why self-transcendence is an important component in a balanced person's life and how it can contribute to adding meaning to a person's life. The contribution of Personal and Professional Leadership to the development and/or improvement of self-transcendence, was also investigated. The research methodology used in the research essay includes hermeneutic and descriptive strategies. The research methods that were used include a word and concept analysis, in order to clarify concepts central to the title of the research essay. A literature study was also conducted, to clarify self-transcendence from the perspective of various philosophers and their theories, within an existential and Personal and Professional Leadership paradigm. The following were important findings of the research essay: • Self-transcendence refers to the desire within a person to give more of himself to others. This will not only have an influence on the legacy that he leaves behind, but also on his own perceptions, self-awareness and potential platform. • The key elements of self-transcendence are: the ability to make a free choice with one's own free will, self-awareness, true north values, selfactualisation; and to have service-orientated relationships with others. • Self-transcendence plays a very important role in a person's life, by influencing a person's quality of life, legacy and ultimately the meaning of his life. • Personal and Professional Leadership plays a very important role in improving and developing self-transcendence, by creating an awareness of the continuous growth process towards enhancing selftranscendence. This could assist a person in becoming more proactive, by wanting to become more self-transcendent. • Servant Leadership can play an important role in self-transcendence. • Self-transcendence can enable a person to gain greater control over his life, which in turn will create a sense of meaning. • Self-transcendence can give a person a sense of belonging and purpose in his life, and also give a feeling that after his death, a part of him will continue to live on. • The research essay concludes by indicating that self-transcendence can, therefore, play a very important role in giving meaning to a person's life.

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