Psychosis or Mystical Religious Experience?

1. Mystical Religious Experience and Psychosis: Contours of the Problem

2. Reformed Theology: Historical Perspectives on Mystical Experience
3. Psychoanalytic Views of Mystical Religious Experience
4. Post-Freudian Psychological Theories
5. Research: Presbyterian Church (USA) Views on MRE
6. Theology and Psychology: An Interdisciplinary Discussion
7. Proposing A New Paradigm
8. Conclusion

Susan L. DeHoff is Visiting Scholar in the School of Theology at Boston University, USA. She holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology and Religion from Boston University, USA and a M.Div. from Emory University, USA. DeHoff is ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and is a Fellow of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.

"Susan DeHoff has written a significant book on an important topic. It will be of interest to all scholars concerned with the intersection of psychology and theology, especially those interested in the psychology of religion. ... DeHoff has nevertheless made a valuable contribution to this important topic that deserves a hearing." (Stephen E. Parker, The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, March, 2019)



"This is an important book for all those who have been seduced into accepting the claim that often re-appears in the history of mysticism, namely that there are no Protestant mystics. ... The clarity of her focus and her in-depth use of empirical data make this book an important contribution to the continuing interest in mysticism both within and outside of religious traditions." (Scriptable, rtreview.org, Issue 32, September, 2018)"The conceptual and historical reach of this book is extensive ... DeHoff's book is a solid step in the direction of the needed collaboration between the disciplines of clinical psychology, theology, and pastoral care. ... Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals." (M. Uebel, Choice, Vol. 56 (2), 2018)