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Transcultural Psychiatry, Vol. 45, No. 1, 56-78 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1363461507087998

Anxious Bliss: A Case Study of Dissociation in a Mexican Nun

Rebecca J. Lester

Washington University, rjlester{at}wustl.edu

This is a case study of Celeste, postulant in a Roman Catholic convent in Mexico who experienced frequent episodes of leaving her body to commune with God. During these experiences, Celeste felt immersed in an `incredibly beautiful profound silence' where `time and space were broken.' But as much as Celeste craved these experiences, they also alarmed her; she was acutely aware that they might be indicative of psychological or neurological dysfunction. This article chronicles Celeste's struggles to make sense of her experiences in light of competing explanatory models. Her ultimate resolution suggests intriguing new directions for transcultural psychiatric research.

Key Words: case study • dissociation • Mexico • religiosity • trauma


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