From chaos to new life: Ritual enactment in the passage from illness to health

Illness irreversibly alters our lives and our relationships. More than a physical or psychological experience, the passage of illness is an existential crisis that is potentially transformative for an individual and his or her loved ones. It is through ritual enactment that we can most fully experience the transformative potential of illness. Rituals are common during illness, but are underutilized for the critically-important reintegration period following acute illness, when personal, interpersonal, and communal healing must occur. Pastoral counselors and others who comfort and counsel the sick and their loved ones should encourage religious and secular ritual enactment to ease this passage.