Alzheimer’s & Dementia Inner Experience
There exists a complex spiritual growth process in the background of Alzheimer’s, dementias, and other states of altered consciousness. Knowledge and awareness of this process offers hope and relief to patients, family members and care givers alike. Sentient Care explores the messages and meaning contained in these processes. These messages trying to reach awareness are both personal to the identified patient and universal for the family and community. Until the messages are received and acted on, they will continue to be sent, intensify and possibly change forms to try to get through. These messages may intensify the same symptoms over time, or they may switch into different symptoms, or they may switch into accidents, mistakes, illnesses, pain, injuries, relationship or community issues. Working on the messages contained in symptoms relieves the patient of having to carry those messages alone, often providing connection, relationship, intimacy, relief, spiritual healing, meaning and awareness about life.
The inner experience of the Alzheimer’s dementia state
The complex spiritual growth process in the background of Alzheimer’s dementia can be characterized into these types of processes:
- Working on unfinished business
- Meeting new aspects and partially lived aspects of the personality
- Harvesting a lifetime of experience
- Creating sacred space for marginalized experiences
- Exploring the beauty and meaning of life
- Making spiritual connections
These categories are not linear stages of Alzheimer’sc dementia and may occur separately or simultaneously. Sentient Care can help facilitate inner awareness of these processes in people experiencing early to advanced stage Alzheimer’s dementia for their benefit and the benefit of the family and society.
For further exploration refer to our newest book:
An Alzheimer’s Surprise Party Prequel: Unveiling the Mystery, Inner Experience, and Gifts of Dementia from the Beginning (Click on the title to go to our bookstore)
This second “ALZHEIMER’S SURPRISE” helps families and professional caregivers hone acute observation skills which aid compassionate awareness of patients’ inner experience of dementia. Researchers Tom Richards and Stan Tomandl present a profound example of an Alzheimer’s patient working on himself psychologically, and communicating in meaningful ways with family and friends. They demonstrate outcomes that include psychological, soulful, and spiritual growth processes, and healing, both within the inner Alzheimer’s dementia experience, and for family, friends, and caregivers. Included are intimate, heartfelt, and intense personal experiences enhanced with concise observations, process structure, and learning exercises, making this an exceptional training tool for caregivers of people in early and intermediate stages of Alzheimer’s.
“Informative, practical, as well as touching and extremely meaningful. Thank you so much for doing this work!”
DRS. ARNOLD & AMY MINDELL, founders of Process Oriented Psychology
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