The Meaning of Hope in Healthy, Nonreligious Swedes

This study aims to illuminate the meaning of the lived experience of hope as narrated by healthy Swedish adults, who considered themselves as nonreligious. Twenty-four interviewees were asked to narrate their experience of hope. A phenomenological-hermeneutical analysis was performed and the meaning...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Western journal of nursing research 2000-04, Vol.22 (3), p.303-319
Main Authors: Benzein, Eva G., Saveman, Britt-Inger, Norberg, Astrid
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Emotions
Healthy people
Hope
Meaning
Nonreligious
Psychology
Sweden
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This study aims to illuminate the meaning of the lived experience of hope as narrated by healthy Swedish adults, who considered themselves as nonreligious. Twenty-four interviewees were asked to narrate their experience of hope. A phenomenological-hermeneutical analysis was performed and the meaning of the lived experience of hope was interpreted as an internal process (i.e., hope related to being), which is linked to the experience of meaning and the awareness of one’s possibilities in life. This awareness releases energy and activates thoughts and feelings, enabling the person to make good and meaningful choices. The process generates a sense of independence, freedom, and inner peace. Hope related to being is a prerequisite for an external process (i.e., setting goals). Setting goals comprises action and the expectation of a positive outcome. Hope related to doing nurtures hope related to being. The findings also revealed that hope related to doing is reconstructed throughout the life process.
ISSN:0193-9459
1552-8456
DOI:10.1177/01939450022044430