{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,5]],"date-time":"2026-08-05T00:50:14Z","timestamp":1785891014415,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group (JNSPG)","issue":"2","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>The experience of grief within neurosurgery extends across a diverse range of individuals, including patients, but also caregivers, neurosurgeons, trainees, advanced practice providers, and the nursing staff who care for neurosurgical patients. This congregation of individuals constitutes the sacred thread woven in the circle of neurosurgery. This interconnected circle is united by a string of life-changing experiences, most of which are profoundly rewarding. However, some experiences leave a deep, regretful mark on the \"self,\" even when the highest standards are upheld in the operating room. In this article, authors from different expertise combine to discuss the factors that encompass the experience of grief among those who face the terminal phases of their lives, their loved ones, and those who incurred grief from the act of doer-ship (neurosurgeons and providers). The authors discuss the different dynamics of grief at play between these cohorts, which may be insightful for those caring for them, and delve into psychological and spiritual reflections on their potential roles in coping mechanisms. They introduce the concept of ikigai in the context of grief, particularly in conjunction with evidence-based breathwork and meditative practices.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3171\/2026.5.focus26175","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]],"date-time":"2026-07-29T00:01:24Z","timestamp":1785283284000},"page":"E12","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Grief in the circle of neurosurgery: observing through the lens of science, spirituality, and philosophy"],"prefix":"10.3171","volume":"61","author":[{"given":"Jai Deep","family":"Thakur","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, University of South Alabama, Mobile;"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sree Kalyan","family":"Patiballa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa;"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jigar M.","family":"Patel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The International Association for Human Values (IAHV), Fairhope;"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nidhi","family":"Setya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"As Above So Below Healing Sounds LLC, Fairhope; and"},{"name":"Art of Living, Fairhope, Alabama"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Puja","family":"Paudel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The International Association for Human Values (IAHV), Fairhope;"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ankita","family":"Patel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Art of Living, Fairhope, Alabama"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ursula Noelle","family":"Hummel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, University of South Alabama, Mobile;"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mehdi","family":"Khaleghi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, University of South Alabama, Mobile;"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1754","reference":[{"issue":"5","key":"b1","series-title":"Neurosurgery","first-page":"e138","article-title":"In reply: neurosurgical complications: forgive and remember","volume":"91","author":"Morcos JJ","year":"2022","unstructured":"Morcos JJ. 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