The Christian mystical tradition and the psychological treatment of dissociative identity disorder both describe a process of unifying consciousness. Comparing the experience of the self in contemplative practice and in DID patients reveals points of continuity. Differentiating first-order dissociation (separation from a divine being or source) from second-order dissociation (separation from parts of one's own self and experiences) can preserve insights from both spiritual and psychological perspectives.
Sufi teaching stories, akin to parables in other religious traditions, provide insights into religious experience and emotional well-being. The paper examines how selected Sufi tales comment on the basic structure of situations, employ non-rational or lateral problem-solving techniques, facilitate consciousness-raising, and address the experience of confronting unexpected reality.
The concept of 'soul-making,' drawn from Jung and Hillman, involves integrating spiritual and bodily imagery into a wholeness that exceeds conscious understanding. Pierre Janet's case of the psychotic mystic Madeleine shows she was actively 'making' her own soul, even though Janet's theory lacked a concept of soul. Janet's soul-stripping theory is contrasted with a soul-making approach, particularly in their interpretations of Madeleine's altered states. Religious ecstasy is described as a 'stretching' of soul into spirit, requiring a subsequent descent into and reconciliation with tradition, society, the outer world, and the body.