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

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.