New book highlights existential health

Anders Rosengren was commissioned to write a book on existential health based on Tranströmer’s work by the Gothenburg Book Fair, which sought to complement its theme on the significance of literature. 

"I took on the task with some trepidation. While I have always been fascinated by Tranströmer’s poetic world and how it touches on many existential questions, I know there are many others with a far deeper understanding of his work. For me, it was both challenging and stimulating to use literature as a way to approach existential health," says Anders, whose book also references other authors, such as Jon Fosse, Birgitta Trotzig, and Kazuo Ishiguro.

Life’s uncertainty 

The title "An Unexpected Glade" is drawn from the Nobel laureate’s poetry, and the book is published by Korpen Press. 

Existential health is about living with life’s uncertainty, resting in the unknown, writes Anders in the book’s introduction. It’s about living with humility toward what it means to be human: never fully complete. 

Tapping into the existential dimension of one’s health doesn’t have to be difficult. It can be about finding those small moments where meaning and connection are present. Finding something beautiful and letting your thoughts rest there for a short while. Reflecting on what is essential and how we can prioritize wisely.

Highlighted by WHO

Anders Rosengren has been advocating for the existential dimension of health for several years. Existential health is a cornerstone of the intervention being studied in the research project Livsstilsverktyget (“The Lifestyle Tool”). The project now includes 120,000 Swedes and evaluates whether the tool can prevent type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. 

This philosophical perspective on health is now highlighted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an aspect that needs global consideration in public health work. 

In Sweden, there is also political engagement with existential health. Last spring, Anders Rosengren participated in a panel with Minister of Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed and Olivia Wigzell, Director General of the Public Health Agency. The agency has been tasked by the government to assess the possibilities of integrating existential health into Sweden’s public health efforts.

Micro and macro 

As a basic researcher and professor of molecular medicine, he is highly interested in what can be measured. 

"What we can measure well, such as insulin release, blood pressure, and blood sugar, we should continue to measure. But we also need to be humble in the face of what is immeasurable," says Anders. 

While working on his book during his summer vacation, he received an assignment to revise a scientific article on the impact of gut flora on type 2 diabetes. The shift from Tranströmer’s poetic world to microbiological molecules was sharp, but it’s possible to combine the two worlds. 

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"Humans often get stuck in dualisms—it's either-or. Nature or culture, body or psyche, natural science or existential questions. But there’s really no contradiction. These dualisms cause us to miss the bigger picture," says Anders.

Better health outcomes 

Much of the research at Sahlgrenska Academy revolves around counting, measuring, and imaging. By weaving together the scientific and the existential, research can be nuanced, creating a more comprehensive whole, Anders Rosengren believes. 

In clinical settings, this combination of the measurable and the immeasurable can be especially important: 

"As doctors, we often meet patients who may have excellent test results but still don’t feel well. They experience emptiness and a lack of meaning. By highlighting the existential dimensions, healthcare can offer more complete care, which in the end can lead to better health outcomes and a deeper understanding of what health truly means."