Our Story

Sacred moments—brief periods of transcendence, boundlessness, deep interconnectedness, or spiritual emotions—are all around us. At the Sacred Moments Initiative, we believe there is great power in encouraging, recognizing and sharing these moments. We are a team of physicians, nurses, chaplains, and researchers working to build a worldwide community devoted to exploring sacred moments.

Why are we doing this work? Healthcare is in crisis. Some studies show physician burnout rates are higher than 50%. Many interventions to enhance well-being have been attempted with variable results, and the need for innovative approaches remains. It is known that a holistic, relationship-centered approach is a key facet of high-quality care and increases satisfaction, boosts morale, and enhances health outcomes.

When experienced in healthcare settings, sacred moments represent profound instances of that holistic care. Clinicians have told us that these moments are highly memorable and leave them with a sense of joy, deep understanding, and empathy, and are “the reason I went into medicine.” We have learned from our research that sacred moment experiences are commonplace in healthcare settings, for example, occurring in times of great joy such as childbirth, and in times of crisis or grief. Sacred moments are relevant to people from diverse religious traditions, those who are spiritual but not religious, and agnostics and atheists as well.

At the Sacred Moments Initiative, we are studying, cataloging, educating, sharing, and spreading sacred moments. Through this work, we seek to build a social movement of meaningful connection.