Hope and Transformation

Transformation is about the process of moving from the immobilizing state of despair into spiritual and psychological equilibrium of holding the tension of opposites. The process of transformation is about the process of change that takes place when a person looks for opportunities in potential for growth in their problems. A person on the path of transformation has hope for the better, and the development of new and better ways of experiencing life. New ways of seeing life is not about false hope, it is about new possibilities and growth. Transformation is about the movement from impossibility to possibility and that can only be done with hope.  

“Never fear shadows. They simply mean there’s light shining somewhere nearby” (Ruth Renkel, n.d.). It is my experience that painful experiences show us ways to grow. “There is no such thing as pain without a gift for you in its hand” (Bach, 1977, p. 71). The key is to allow our problems to become our teacher. Despair has a new role, which is to instruct us on life rather than to immobilize. Despair actually provides us with hope in the process of transformation.

Just as creation emerges out of a state of primordial darkness and emptiness, in our own lives, we find that it is most often the dark night of the soul, the existential crisis of meaning and faith, an illness or traumatic loss, that awakens us and ultimately compels us to grow and birth new dimensions of ourselves. (Frankel, 2005, p. 18)

Hope and Science

I look at hope also from a scientific and medical model as I incorporate hope into my therapeutic techniques as a counselor. Even though hope predominately focuses on existential perspectives, the concept of hope is also further reinforced by concepts in science and medicine better known as the placebo effect. Placebo effect and hope are similar entities as they both are about belief. John Groopman (2004), Harvard Medical School professor, writes a very powerful book, The Anatomy of Hope, that discusses the importance of maintaining hope in medicine and giving patients hope. He uses his career of 30 years in hematology and oncology to talk about how important it is for his patients to have hope especially those living with potentially life-threatening illnesses. Bloom (1970) also served in the AIDS clinic and noted patients that had hope and the positive correlation to their survival. When one believes that they are going to get better, they do. This placebo effect and recent scientific research continues to prove the power in positive thinking and current research indicates areas in the brain that respond to the placebo affect. Using PET scanners and MRIs to peer into the heads of patients who respond to sugar pills, researchers have discovered that the placebo effect is not "all in patients' heads" but rather, in their brains (Sciolli & Biller, n.d.). New research shows that belief in a dummy treatment leads to changes in brain chemistry (Carol, 2006). It seems reductional to put hope into the science laboratory. However, hope and placebo have something in common; they increase the chances of someone getting better. Psychologist David McClelland (as cited in Carol, 2006) showed research subjects a film about Mother Theresa caring for orphans. Immediately before and after viewing the film, every subject provided a saliva sample. McClelland had the fluid analyzed for the presence of Salivary Immunoglobin-A, a protective hormone that is especially effective in warding off respiratory infections. Interestingly, he found a significant rise in SIG-A as result of viewing the film. He called it "The Mother Theresa effect."

The power of placebo is responsible for much of the current research on hope today. More and more research is going into the power of a positive attitude and the power of hope in medicine and also psychological research. With this information available it makes sense to continue to utilize this powerful tool in counseling.

For More on Hope and the power of Transformation
Building Bridges of Growth
A Master's Thesis:  By Debbie Kidwell
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