As we have seen, serious illness, organ transplant and other adversities can challenge one's belief in the strength and durability of personal identity. This is one reason why these traumatic events can be a time of great personal crisis. It is also the reason for the association between serious illness and profound personal changes. It is only when our deep felt beliefs about personal identity are challenged, that we shift or begin to question whether another viewpoint exists. Is all lost when personal identity is challenged? Or can we still exist and find contentment?
Spiritual growth typically involves a shift away from self-centered existence. It involves a decreased reliance on the immediate concerns of personal identity and a greater awareness of one's position in the world community. A sense of being one member in a grand symphony results, replacing the feeling that you are alone and playing out your life in isolation. Greater awareness of the connections within humanity has helped many find the strength to deal with tragic life events that occur beyond any one person's immediate control. The door to these shifts in perspective is opened each time that illness or some other adverse situation challenges our assumptions and our preferences.
The calmness, confidence, and resilience that some transplant patients show may arise as a result of their decreased reliance on the importance of personal identity. The huge amounts of emotional energy that are required to build and perpetuate a durable and controlling identity are available to them for other use. They do not need to defend themselves against helplessness and vulnerability. They have faced these horrors and survived. Their happiness is less reliant upon beliefs and desires that can be stripped out from under them by illness. Therefore there is less to be anxious and fearful about. Their personhood is based on a more durable foundation that exists beyond the apparent strength of personal identity. Their need for a desirable identity weakens. The color of one's hair, or the style of one's dress can rapidly appear of minimal consequence from the perspective of one who is confronting their own death. The need to dominate or interact with others competitively is also lessened. Some who have lived through tragedy can see through others' confusion at a glance. This is because the complex ways by which others support their identity appear transparent to them.