A Phenomenological Study on Breast Cancer Survivors' Experiences of Mind Subtraction Meditation

Mi Ra Yun

doi:10.5388/aon.2016.16.3.158

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Yun: A Phenomenological Study on Breast Cancer Survivors' Experiences of Mind Subtraction Meditation

Original Article

Asian Oncology Nursing 2016; 16(3): 158-167.

Published online: 30 September 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5388/aon.2016.16.3.158

A Phenomenological Study on Breast Cancer Survivors' Experiences of Mind Subtraction Meditation

Mi Ra Yun

College of Nursing, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.

Address reprint requests to: Yun, Mi Ra. College of Nursing, Chung-Ang University Room 528 B/D 102, 84, Heukseokro, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 06974, Korea. Tel: +82-2-820-6851, Fax: ++82-2-820-6192, mirayun21@cau.ac.kr

Received 8 August 2016 Revised 27 September 2016 Accepted 28 September 2016

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to understand the meditation experiences of breast cancer survivors.

Methods

The participants were 20 breast cancer survivors who participated in 8 weeks of mind subtraction meditation at a tertiary hospital in Korea 2013. The data was collected by in-depth individual interviews, personal logs about the meditation experiences, and field diaries. Data were analyzed using Giorgi's phenomenological analysis.

Results

A total of 13 subthemes and 4 themes were derived from the analysis. Participants began to meditate with some doubts initially but were soon comfortable as they became familiar with the meditation method. As they discarded their negativity, they experienced positive changes in their mindset. The experiences of discarded negativity were summarized as "discarding the hate, resentment, and obsession," "discarding the depression, anxiety, and stress," and "discarding the false me." The change after meditation was named "from restraint to freedom," "from negativism to positivism," "from closed doors to the wide open world." and "looking forward to the true happiness."

Conclusion

Breast cancer survivors reflected on their lives and experienced positive changes as they discarded their negativity through meditation. It is recommended to perform the nursing interventions utilizing the meditation and conduct further studies to examine its beneficial effects.

Keywords: Breast Cancer, Survivors, Mind Subtraction Meditation, Qualitative Research

Figures and Tables

Table 1

Breast Cancer Survivors' Experience of Mind Subtraction Meditation: Finding the Light in the Darkness

Sub-theme	Theme
· Grasping at the straws	Starting the subtraction of mind
· Could be helpful
· With the dubious mindset
· New experience of ‘subtraction’ meditation	Wrestling with the ‘subtraction’ meditation
· Going over the mountains
· Oh, it’s working!
· Discarding the hate, resentment, and obsession	The discarded minds, and the remnants
· Discarding the depression, anxiety, and stress
· Discarding the “false me”
· From restraint to freedom	Experiencing the life transformations
· From negativism to positivism
· From closed doors to the wide open world
· Looking forward to the true happiness

Notes

This article is a revision of the first author's doctoral thesis from Seoul National University.

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