<p> This dissertation considers the characteristics of a sacred feminine perspective toward death and dying in today’s United States. A sacred feminine perspective as brought to the deathbed by women healers respects the sanctity of life; intuitively adopts a holistic perspective; and <i> witnesses</i>, not observes, the dying through active engagement on physical, psychological, and spiritual levels. A sacred feminine perspective affirms the dying person’s journey as one of self-acceptance and release. To explore this perspective’s healing power, I pose the following question: <i> How can end-of-life caregiving and religious perspectives on dying be integrated toward a spiritual feminist perspective to create a new paradigm of care for the dying person?</i> </p><p> To answer this inquiry, I explored from a phenomenological perspective the stories from end-of-life caregivers, primarily in the United States, as well as literature from other healing modalities to develop a framework that may be used by those assisting the dying. The methodologies I utilized for this study are women’s spiritual ways of knowing, including spiritual feminist hermeneutics. In my research, I applied narrative analysis—integrating organic and intuitive inquiry methods—to relevant literature, including stories from end-of-life caregivers about the types of care used in their work, as well as their interpretations of the dying persons’ experiences. This methodological integration allowed me to achieve a more nuanced understanding of the human experience of dying, and to develop and enhance skillful means for the sacred work of midwifing death. </p><p> In this theoretical study, I propose a model called the Body-Soul-Spirit Positionality Paradigm, which holds that each person lives as well as dies primarily through one of three dimensions of self: the body, the soul (defined here as feelings and thoughts), or the spirit. A major objective of this dissertation is the development and illustration of the Body-Soul-Spirit Positionality Paradigm as a practical/theoretical framework for addressing the specific physical, emotional/mental, and spiritual needs of the dying person to help them truly rest in peace. </p><p> By understanding the dying person’s positionality, the end-of-life doula will be able to provide personalized access to effective healing modalities such as the implementation of positionality blessing cards.</p><p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:13421924 |
| Date | 08 January 2019 |
| Creators | Zimmermann, Denise Marie |
| Publisher | California Institute of Integral Studies |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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