Attempting to capture the ineffable quality: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of the experience of an epiphany

Abstract

Examination of how people experience positive change outside the therapy room is of use to those seeking to support people who want to change within the realms of psychotherapy. The qualitative literature which has examined the topic of sudden and profound transformation has mostly focused on the antecedent and facilitative factors associated with this form of change. This study aims to explore the epiphanies of six participants who took part in unstructured interviews. The data generated was subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Three major themes emerge: (i) Making sense of an ineffable experience; (ii) Who I was, what happened, who I am now; (iii) Illuminating purpose – each associated with a subtheme. A found poem is also presented for each major theme. The implications for therapeutic practitioners, mental health professionals and educators are discussed. It is concluded that the empathic understanding of such experiences may be enhanced from engaging with the dimensions of epiphanic experiences described here.