Down the Rabbit Hole: A Reflection for CPE Students
There’s a moment—sometimes subtle, sometimes startling—when we realize we’ve stepped into unfamiliar territory with a patient. It might begin with a simple story or a silent pause, but suddenly, we’re not in Kansas anymore. We’re falling down the rabbit hole.
Originally imagined by Lewis Carroll in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the rabbit hole is a metaphor for plunging into the unknown—a strange, swirling world of wonder, confusion, and discovery. In the realm of spiritual care, this metaphor becomes more than whimsical; it becomes an invitation.
No Map. No Agenda. Just Presence.
To offer meaningful spiritual care, we must be willing to let go of our assumptions. We cannot show up with a checklist or a pre-written script. The sacred is not scripted—it reveals itself in real time. When we meet patients with presence rather than prescriptions, we give them—and ourselves—permission to explore what matters most, even when it’s unclear or uncomfortable.
Falling down the rabbit hole means entering a conversation or moment that might challenge your understanding. It may be confusing, nonlinear, or full of unexpected emotion. But that’s exactly where transformation lives—in the place just past certainty.
Why Risk Matters
Spiritual care isn’t safe in the conventional sense. It’s sacred because it demands vulnerability. We ask questions we don’t know the answers to. We sit in silence that makes our skin itch. We follow threads that might lead nowhere—or somewhere incredible.
When you take that risk, you communicate something powerful: You matter enough for me to be uncomfortable with you. That kind of presence heals.
Follow the Mystery
The next time a patient’s story veers into mystery, let it. If their emotions pull you into your own discomfort, stay with it. Be curious. Be humble. Go deeper.
Remember: the rabbit hole isn’t a trap. It’s a threshold.
So, take the leap. Not to fix. Not to steer. But to discover what can only be found when you dare to enter the unknown—with compassion, courage, and no agenda.
