Narrative medicine and contemplative care are two movements that aim to reform healthcare by addressing its shortcomings, yet they have developed separately with distinct literatures and practitioners. This article explores their philosophical similarities and differences, noting both movements share a diagnosis of healthcare's problems but offer related yet distinct responses. Using Margaret Edson's play W;t as an example, the author illustrates how these approaches intersect at the end of life, highlighting the potential for integration to improve patient care.
Mindfulness-based interventions are increasingly used in healthcare for stress reduction and improved health, but their religious and spiritual roots are often downplayed. This article uses medical humanities and narrative medicine to rebalance this trend, exploring mindfulness as a bridge between medical and spiritual approaches to suffering. The author examines historical, linguistic, and philosophic dimensions of mindfulness and mysticism related to illness, suffering, death, and dying. Two case examples illustrate mindfulness used as an intentionally spiritual practice for health concerns.