An Interdisciplinary Model to Foster Existential Resilience and Transformation
Existential threats, including threats to the self, society, and the planet, are present throughout the lifespan and form a core element of the human experience. To consolidate knowledge and constructs about how people can adequately respond to existential threats, we convened an interdisciplinary w...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Challenges |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2078-1547/16/1/5 |
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| author | Ingela Steij Stålbrand Ive Brissman Lovisa Nyman Erik Sidenvall Mattias Tranberg Anika Wallin Christine Wamsler Juliet Jacobsen |
| author_facet | Ingela Steij Stålbrand Ive Brissman Lovisa Nyman Erik Sidenvall Mattias Tranberg Anika Wallin Christine Wamsler Juliet Jacobsen |
| author_sort | Ingela Steij Stålbrand |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Existential threats, including threats to the self, society, and the planet, are present throughout the lifespan and form a core element of the human experience. To consolidate knowledge and constructs about how people can adequately respond to existential threats, we convened an interdisciplinary working group, which consisted of eight researchers from the fields of psychology, systemic theology, practical theology, religious studies, cognitive science, palliative care, and sustainability science. The group met one day per week for 9 months to engage in an interactive co-creative process of data collection and analyses, discussion, iterative presentations, and writing. The process resulted in the development of an interdisciplinary model that pulls together the key themes of how people, societies, and systems can foster existential resilience and transformation. The model consists of three axes across which we (individuals, groups, systems) have to strengthen or stretch our “inner muscles”: connectedness, agency, and time. All axes contribute to the development of our inner capacities and, ultimately, meaning and purpose, which are crucial to support resilience and transformation. Our interdisciplinary overarching model provides a common conceptualization for existential resilience and transformation that can bridge existing research to support individual, collective, and large-scale system-change work. Its relevance and potential implementation are illustrated and presented from different disciplinary angles. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8836630a185a4f8b8ff1e34a1c2c4543 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2078-1547 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Challenges |
| spelling | doaj-art-8836630a185a4f8b8ff1e34a1c2c45432025-08-20T02:11:01ZengMDPI AGChallenges2078-15472025-01-01161510.3390/challe16010005An Interdisciplinary Model to Foster Existential Resilience and TransformationIngela Steij Stålbrand0Ive Brissman1Lovisa Nyman2Erik Sidenvall3Mattias Tranberg4Anika Wallin5Christine Wamsler6Juliet Jacobsen7Department of Psychology, Lund University, 22100 Lund, SwedenCentre for Theology and Religious Studies, Lund University, 22100 Lund, SwedenCentre for Theology and Religious Studies, Lund University, 22100 Lund, SwedenCentre for Theology and Religious Studies, Lund University, 22100 Lund, SwedenDepartment of Clinical Sciences Lund, The Institute for Palliative Care, Lund University, 22100 Lund, SwedenDepartment of Philosophy, Lund University Cognitive Science, 22100 Lund, SwedenLund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS), Faculty of Social Sciences, Lund University, 22100 Lund, SwedenDepartment of Clinical Sciences Lund, Medical Oncology, Lund University, 22100 Lund, SwedenExistential threats, including threats to the self, society, and the planet, are present throughout the lifespan and form a core element of the human experience. To consolidate knowledge and constructs about how people can adequately respond to existential threats, we convened an interdisciplinary working group, which consisted of eight researchers from the fields of psychology, systemic theology, practical theology, religious studies, cognitive science, palliative care, and sustainability science. The group met one day per week for 9 months to engage in an interactive co-creative process of data collection and analyses, discussion, iterative presentations, and writing. The process resulted in the development of an interdisciplinary model that pulls together the key themes of how people, societies, and systems can foster existential resilience and transformation. The model consists of three axes across which we (individuals, groups, systems) have to strengthen or stretch our “inner muscles”: connectedness, agency, and time. All axes contribute to the development of our inner capacities and, ultimately, meaning and purpose, which are crucial to support resilience and transformation. Our interdisciplinary overarching model provides a common conceptualization for existential resilience and transformation that can bridge existing research to support individual, collective, and large-scale system-change work. Its relevance and potential implementation are illustrated and presented from different disciplinary angles.https://www.mdpi.com/2078-1547/16/1/5connectednessagencymeaninghopelong-term orientationpersonal development |
| spellingShingle | Ingela Steij Stålbrand Ive Brissman Lovisa Nyman Erik Sidenvall Mattias Tranberg Anika Wallin Christine Wamsler Juliet Jacobsen An Interdisciplinary Model to Foster Existential Resilience and Transformation Challenges connectedness agency meaning hope long-term orientation personal development |
| title | An Interdisciplinary Model to Foster Existential Resilience and Transformation |
| title_full | An Interdisciplinary Model to Foster Existential Resilience and Transformation |
| title_fullStr | An Interdisciplinary Model to Foster Existential Resilience and Transformation |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Interdisciplinary Model to Foster Existential Resilience and Transformation |
| title_short | An Interdisciplinary Model to Foster Existential Resilience and Transformation |
| title_sort | interdisciplinary model to foster existential resilience and transformation |
| topic | connectedness agency meaning hope long-term orientation personal development |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2078-1547/16/1/5 |
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