A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Psychology at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2014 / This study involved an evaluation of an energy healing programme using participatory action research. The main research question related to the effectiveness of an energy healing programme in a group of psoriasis sufferers. The other research questions examined the participants‘ lived experiences of the programme; the extent to which awareness and intention to heal, as forms of energy, raised levels of consciousness and finally the extent to which new awareness led to corresponding bodily changes related to psoriasis. The study was based on the experiences of three participants living with psoriasis who participated in a five week energy healing programme. The sample was based on individuals living with psoriasis and with a shared interest in energy healing. Participants ranged between the ages of 24 and 54.Thegroup comprised one male and two females from a Hindu background, living in the greater Durban area. The programme involved the practice of various energy healing modalities that included the different forms of meditation, pranayama and yoga. The programme required weekly attendance at experiential group session with a duration of 90 minutes. An integrated methodological approach was used to capture the essence of energy healing through four ways of being and knowing. These included interior, exterior, individual and collective perspectives. A positivist research approach provided objective findings of heart rhythm coherence and quality of life measures on effectiveness of the energy healing programme. These findings showed a corresponding relationship with subjective data based on personal experiences of energy healing. First person perspectives included themes of self-discovery, self-acceptance, detached observing and improved relationships as it relates to higher states in consciousness. This study should be replicated on a larger scale using more controlled research methods to validate the use of energy healing as an adjunct treatment for people living with psoriasis.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uzulu/oai:uzspace.unizulu.ac.za:10530/1442 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Naidoo, Niranjana |
| Contributors | Prof. J.D.Thwala, Prof. S.D. Edwards |
| Publisher | University of Zululand |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
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