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When describing the research problem in Chapter 1, the researcher asked the following research questions:

• What are the experiences of seekers of silence?

• What can be done to accompany them?

The researcher then derived the objectives of the study from these questions. The method by which the researcher succeeded to reach these objectives will now be discussed.

6.2.1 First objective

“To explore and describe the experiences of seekers of silence.”

This objective was met by conducting eight in-depth phenomenological interviews and video-stimulated recall sessions. A central storyline, four themes and nine categories were identified during the data analysis process. A literature control

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was conducted to validate the findings and to meet the requirements of Guba’s model for trustworthiness (Guba & Lincoln, 1988:290).

6.2.1.1 The central storyline

Silence was experienced as a transformational gift through the experience of God in deep rest and peace. The practice of silence was an intentional and valuable discipline in order to experience “letting go” and “filling up” internally. The experience led to an increased awareness of the self, as well as the need to integrate silence as part of a lifestyle.

6.2.1.2 Theme A

Silence was experienced as a transformational gift from God through the experience of God in deep rest and peace.

The following categories emerged:

• silence was experienced as a gift;

• silence was an experience of God in deep rest and peace; and

• the experience of silence brought about transformation.

6.2.1.3 Theme B

The practice of silence was experienced as an intentional and valuable discipline in order to experience “letting go” and “filling up” internally.

The following categories emerged:

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• the experience of the “letting go” process; and

• the experience of the “filling up” process.

6.2.1.4 Theme C

The experience of inner movement led to an increased awareness of the self. The following categories emerged:

• the experience of inner movement; and

• the experience of an increased self-awareness.

6.2.1.5 Theme D

The experience of silence led to a need to integrate silence as part of a spiritual lifestyle. The following category emerged:

• The experience of silence led to a need to integrate silence as part of a lifestyle.

The data analysis uncovered the experiences of seekers of silence.

The central storyline that emerged from the data analysis is that silence was experienced as a transformational gift through the experience of God in deep rest and peace. The practice of silence was an intentional and valuable discipline in order to experience “letting go” and “filling up” internally. The experience led to an increased awareness of the self and the need to integrate silence as part of a lifestyle. The central storyline thus showed that the participants’ experiences centred on four themes.

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The first theme is that silence was experienced as a transformational gift from God through the experience of God in deep rest and peace. Silence was first of all experienced as a gift. Although the participants were doing things to experience silence, they were convinced that they could not create silence or achieve it through their own efforts. There is a paradoxical nature to silence. The participants’ experience of silence was not a goal in itself, but became a way by which to experience God in deep rest and peace. This experience was transformational in nature because it brings about a new awareness of God.

The second theme is that the practice of silence was experienced as an intentional and valuable discipline in order to experience letting go and filling up internally. Although the participants did not come from a tradition or culture that values silence, they experienced silence by making a heart choice and showing discipline. Silence did not come easily and required physical and mental effort. Part of the mental effort was to let go of all inner activity. For some participants, it was very challenging to let go; however, one of the central experiences were also the filling up experience. Participants did not experience silence as a “blank” or emptiness, but rather a filling up of knowledge, insight and clarity, and as complete personal renewal.

The third theme was the experience of an inner movement that leads to an increased awareness of the self. By becoming observers of the inner movement of their own thoughts, feelings and longings, participants connected with themselves. This was not always a pleasant experience, though, since some participants discovered negative thoughts and feelings such as anger, anxiousness and resentment. One of the central experiences was the awareness of their core self. They became aware of the fact that they perform the action of thinking and feeling and that their thoughts and feelings do not define who they are. Their own authentic ways of being and doing became evident. The implications of this awakening of the true self are at the heart of their transformational experience.

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The last theme was the experience of a need to integrate silence as a lifestyle. Although all the participants expressed an intense desire to integrate silence into their lives, they also expressed their struggle in that regard. They all relayed their need to be accompanied in this regard.

It was very important for the researcher to gain an understanding of the seekers of silence before accompanying the seekers into silence in their quest for wholeness.

6.2.2 Second objective

“To develop and describe a model for the accompaniment of seekers into silence.”

The results of objective 1 were used to identify the following concept: “The facilitation of transformation by the integration of silence as part of a lifestyle.”

To develop this model the researcher applied the method of theory generation described by Chinn and Kramer (2008:185-244), as well as Walker and Avant (2005:133-166). The first step was to analyse the data for the identification, definition and classification of the central concept and associated concepts. The next step was to describe a model case study to demonstrate the essential components of the central concept. The essential elements were described according to the guidelines outlined by Dickoff, et al. (1968:421).

The next step was the structural and process description of the model. The researcher developed a model to facilitate transformation through the integration of silence as part of a lifestyle. The model consists of four phases. The initial phase involves the establishment of a trust relationship in which the seeker of silence feels secure enough to share his or her life story. The next phase has to do with the facilitation of silence with the aim of being sensitised to the inner world in order to address personal issues. The third phase is the integration of silence by providing a safe space in a community and by creating a private

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sanctuary. The last phase comprises the partnership that is formed between the accompanist as facilitator and the seeker for successful accompaniment. The model describes the role of the accompanist as facilitator in the process of the facilitation of transformation through the integration of silence as part of a lifestyle.

The researcher derived guidelines to implement the model. The researcher started off this process by creating the objectives of the model’s four phases. After establishing the guidelines, the researcher devised actions to achieve the objectives.