Spiritual chaos: an alternative conceptualisation of grief

Grief is examined in this article as spiritual chaos, rather than stages to be worked through. Major characteristics of grief and spirituality are identified as well as ways in which chaos theory can help us understand grief. Indigenous approaches to death, dying and grief are explored, and the role of the ritual elder, particularly in terms of creating a safe space in which grief can be safely sampled. Guidance from experienced helpers such as ritual elders assists persons experiencing grief to deal with issues in a more conscious way. It is argued that holistic health care teams require spiritual carers as full members, and that the role of spiritual carer may at times need to be undertaken by various members of the health care team.