The existential dimension of the experience of seclusion: a qualitative study among former psychiatric inpatients
BMC Psychiatry October 3, 2023 Eva S. Trapman, Arjan W. Braam 5 citations
Former psychiatric patients describe their involuntary seclusion as an encounter with existential concerns about death, freedom, isolation, and meaninglessness. Respondents reported sensing they were already dead, losing agency, feeling like an object, and experiencing spiritual phenomena ranging from hellish visions to comforting voices or imagined nature scenes. Although some experiences overlap with psychotic symptoms, participants expressed relief at discussing them. The authors argue that sharing these existential experiences aligns with psychiatric recovery and personalized care, and that the intensity of such experiences may warrant support from a chaplain or spiritual counselor.