Sarture -Humanity fully alive : healing and management of trauma through the flow experiences facilitated by spiritual formation practices.

2017·0.66 MB·English

by  Victoria Sarture

HUMANITY FULLY ALIVE: HEALING AND MANAGEMENT OF TRAUMA
THROUGH THE FLOW EXPERIENCE FACILITATED BY SPIRITUAL FORMATION
PRACTICES

A Dissertation
presented to
the Faculty of
Claremont School of Theology

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy

by
Victoria M. Sarture
December 2017
Copyright © 2017 by Victoria M. Sarture
This dissertation completed by
Victoria M. Sarture
has been presented to and accepted by the
faculty of Claremont School of Theology in
partial fulfillment of the requirements of the

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Faculty Committee
Dr. Frank Rogers, Jr., Chairperson
Dr. Andrew Dreitcer
Dr. Alane Daugherty

Dean of the Faculty
Dr. Sheryl A. Kujawa-Holbrook

December 2017
ABSTRACT

HUMANITY FULLY ALIVE: HEALING AND MANAGEMENT OF TRAUMA THROUGH
THE FLOW EXPERIENCE FACILITATED BY SPIRITUAL FORMATION PRACTICES
by
Victoria M. Sarture

The primary issue this dissertation addresses is how spiritual formation practices
(specifically prayer, daily writing/journaling, and light imagery meditation) that produce the
psychological condition called ‘flow’ to the management and alleviation of symptoms related to
trauma, specifically post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The problem is that while much
research and literature already focuses on trauma and the recovery from trauma, only a small
amount of research actually focuses on the contribution of spiritual formation practices to the
management and alleviation of the symptoms of trauma. In the same vein, while much research
has been carried out on the psychological condition of ‘flow,’ only a small amount of literature
focuses on the contribution of flow experiences to the treatment of trauma. And no literature has
been written that sheds light on spiritual practices as a means of flow in treating symptoms
related to trauma. Qualitative research for this dissertation is in the form of case studies.
Prominent trauma experts are included to define trauma, the symptoms and challenges that
trauma presents, and the requirements needed to heal from trauma. With Mihaly
Csikszentmihalyi as the primary developer of the study of flow, this dissertation explores the
psychological aspects of flow, the conditions required for it, its results, and how flow can be
utilized in the healing of and recovery from trauma. Spiritual formation practices of prayer and
meditation are described as supports for healing and recovery. Case studies of four mystics are
included as sources of data—St. Therese of Lisieux, St. John of the Cross, St. Faustina
Kowalska, and Evelyn Underhill—documenting how spiritual practices and flow helped these
mystics in their healing of and recovery from trauma.
Keywords trauma, healing, recovery, flow, spirituality, spiritual formation, spiritual practices,
mysticism, mystical experience, suffering
To my mother, Mary L. Ruiz
Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the faculty at Claremont School of Theology. They are truly a
stellar crowd that have helped shape my theological understanding of praxis in the tradition of
practical theology and for teaching me what it truly means to be a practical theologian. I would
like to express my deepest thanks to my committee: Dr. Alane Daugherty for accepting my
request to add her to my committee in the middle of the process, Dr. Andrew Dreitcer for
feedback concerning course work, qualifying exams, and the dissertation, and Dr. Frank Rogers,
Jr. for being sent from above to guide me in the research process. For two years within the time
of completing this dissertation, there were seven souls that went on to eternity and entered the
next phases of their lives. You have each had an impact on my life. To you I want to say, “Be
alive in heaven!” I want to give a profound thanks to my husband for telling me that everything
is going to be okay at times of stress and self-doubt. Thank you for being the even-tempered,
gentle man that you are. I love you for that! I want to profusely thank my mom and daddy for
supporting my decision to get a formal education from the very start. Thank you for all the
encouragement and all of the other ways that you have supported me in this process. Thank you
for making an education a value and priority in our household. Finally, I want to thank Jesus for
letting me know that you “fashioned” me for this. It is because of those words that I knew it was
your will to stay in the program at times of doubt.+
Contents

Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………………..iv

Dedication.....................................................................................................................................vi

Acknowledgements.......................................................................................................................vii

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………....………....10

Chapter One: Trauma and Recovery.....…………………......................................................16

Part I, PTSD: How Experts Explain What It Is; How It Acts; How It Heals.......17

Description/Definition of PTSD................................…………….....….17

Symptoms of PTSD……………………………………………………...21

Healing Process/Ways to Heal PTSD……………………….….………..24

Part II, Literature Review……………………………………………….….……38

Chapter Two: Flow and Trauma……………….....................……………………….....…....53

Psychological Aspects of Flow……………………………………….….….…..53

Conditions of Flow…………………………………………………..…….…….56

Results of Flow.............................................................................................…...60

Flow and Trauma…………………………………………………….…..………63

Chapter Three: Spirituality, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Practices, and Healing.........74

Spirituality and Spiritual Formation…………………………………...………..74

Spiritual Practices………………………………………………………..……...87

Spiritual Practices and Healing…………………………………………...…….99

Chapter Four: Mysticism as a Source of Healing in the Figures of St. Therese of Lisieux, St.
John of the Cross, St. Faustina Kowalska, and Evelyn Underhill................104

The Nature of Mystical Experience…………....……………………….……....104

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St. Therese of Lisieux, St. John of the Cross, St. Faustina Kowalska, and Evelyn
Underhill..............................................................................................................116

The Life of St. Therese of Lisieux…………………………....……….………..117

St. Therese of Lisieux’s Suffering and Mystical Healing………………..……..119

The Life of St. John of the Cross…………………………………….………....126

St. John of the Cross’ Suffering and Mystical Healing…………………….…..129

The Life of St. Faustina Kowalska……………………………………….….....133

St. Faustina Kowalska’s Suffering and Mystical Healing................................136

The Life of Evelyn Underhill………………………………………………..…138

Evelyn Underhill’s Suffering and Mystical Healing…………………….…….140

Comparing and Contrasting Elements……………………………….…………143

Chapter Five: Flow Practices and Healing From Trauma and Suffering……..............….145

Specified Spiritual Practices………………………....……………….………...145

How the Spiritual Practices of Writing/Journaling and Light Imagery/Dialog With
the Sacred Induce the Flow Experience……………………………..……........149

How the Spiritual Practices are Healing and at What Stage of Healing According
to Trauma Experts…………………………….………………………………..151

How the Specified Spiritual Practices Are Similar to the Types of Practices
Utilized by St. Therese of Lisieux, St. John of the Cross, St. Faustina Kowalska,
and Evelyn Underhill........................................................................................154

Chapter Six: Conclusion.........................................................................................................159

Bibliography..............................................................................................................................164

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Introduction

Problem to be Addressed
The primary issue this dissertation addresses is how spiritual formation practices (in the
form of prayer), movement based practices (in terms of daily writing/journaling), and meditative
practices (in the form of light imagery) that produce the psychological condition called ‘flow’
contribute to the management and alleviation of symptoms related to trauma, specifically post
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While much research and literature focuses on trauma and the
recovery from trauma, few research studies have focused on the contribution of spiritual
formation practices to the management and alleviation of the symptoms of trauma. In the same
vein, much research has been done on the psychological condition of ‘flow,’ and few of those
studies focus on the contribution of flow experiences to the treatment of trauma. And no existing
literature sheds light on spiritual practices as a means of flow in treating symptoms related to
trauma.

Thesis
As this dissertation will argue, spiritual formation practices that include prayer and
meditation, along with activities that are movement based, such as writing/journaling, induce the
flow experience and in turn assist in the management and recovery from symptoms of trauma,
specifically PTSD.

Summary of Argument
Chapter One presents the definition of trauma, followed by the definition of recovery
from trauma. I begin with the DSM 5’s discussion of post traumatic stress disorder. I summarize
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