• Korean Journal of Cognitive Science
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.501-539
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• 2016

The human mind is a self-evolving system that develops along a multidimensional hierarchical pathway in response to traumatic stimulus. In absence of trauma, a mind integrated in conflict-free state is called monistic. When the monistic mind responses to a traumatic stimulus, a response polarity forms toward stimulus polarity within the mind, turning it into a bipartite structure. Dialectical interaction between the two opposites, originating from their incompatibility, creates a new third polarity in the upper dimension. Thereby, the mind turns into a trinity structure. When the interaction among the three polarities becomes optimized, the plasticity of the mind gets maximized into the "far-from-equilibrium state," and the function of three polarities is synchronized. Through this recalibration, the mind returns back to its monistic structure. If the mind with the recurred monistic structure responds to another traumatic stimulus, this cycle of hierarchical transformation repeats itself in this cyclical and fractal growth process through synchronization of basic trinity system. Applying this concept to the process of post-traumatic growth (PTG), this paper explores how the mind transforms traumatic experiences into PTG and proposes a 'PTG Clock' that shows a fundamental sequence in the development of the human mind. The PTG Clock consists of seven hierarchical phases, and each of the first six phases has two opposite sub-phases: shocked/numbed, feared/intrusive, paranoid/avoidant, obsessional/explosive, dependent/depressive, and meaningless/searching for meaning. The seventh, the synchronization phase, completes one cycle of the mind's transformation, realizing a grand trinity system, where the mind synchronizes its biological, social, and existential dimensions. At that point, the mind becomes more susceptible to not only the stimulus of its own traumatic experience but also the pain of others. Thereby, the PTG Clock sets out on a journey to another cycle of transformation in higher dimensions. The validity of this transformational process for the PTG Clock will be examined by comparing it to Horowitz's theory of stress response syndrome.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.7229-7235
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• 2013

Background: To determine whether the Health Partner Program is effective in training long-term cancer survivors to be health coaches. Materials and Methods: We randomly assigned cancer survivors who were selected through a rigorous screening process to either the Health Partner Program or the waiting-list control group. The program consisted of 8 weeks of training in health management, leadership, and coaching. At baseline, 8, and 16 weeks, we measured primary outcomes using the Seven Habit Profile (SHP), the Korean Leadership Coaching Competency Inventory (KCCI), Ed Diner's Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and the Posttraumatic Growth inventory (PTGI) and secondary outcomes using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) short form 36-item questionnaire (SF-36). Results: We recruited 70 subjects and randomly assigned 34 to the intervention group. The Sharpen the Saw habit of the SHP increased significantly more in intervention group than in the control group (p=0.049), as did most PTGI factors. The intervention group also showed a significantly greater enhancement of vitality (p=0.015) and mental health (p=0.049) SF-36 scores but no improvement in KCCI, SWLS, HADS, or IES-R scores. The intervention group also showed a greater clinically meaningful improvement in the "Think Win-Win" of SHP (p=0.043) and in the personal strength score (p=0.025) and total score (p=0.015) of the PTGI. Conclusions: Long-term cancer survivors can benefit from the Health Partner Program to become health coaches.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.263-283
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• 2016

The present study aimed at examining the factor structure, reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Continuing Bonds Scale (K-CBS). In study 1, exploratory factor analysis was administered to 293 bereaved adults who had experienced the death of a loved one, and it revealed a single factor structure with 10 items that explained 52.59% of the total variance. The K-CBS showed good internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha of .92. In study 2, confirmatory factor analysis in a different sample of 200 bereaved adults indicated satisfactory standardized regression weights of all items. However, one item had a squared multiple correlation less than .40, hence, this item was discarded, and 9 items remained for the final scale. The single factor model with 9 items displayed a good fit. The K-CBS had strong positive correlation with grief symptoms, and weak positive correlation with depression. After controlling for grief, however, the K-CBS was predictive of a decrease in depression. The K-CBS was positively associated with posttraumatic growth. In addition, significant differences in scores of the K-CBS were shown among groups based on the deceased's relation to the bereaved and expectedness of loss. These results suggest that the K-CBS is a reliable and valid instrument to measure continuing bonds. Finally, implications, limitations, and directions for future research were discussed.