Table of Contents

Dissociation: The Phenomenon. Dissociation, defense, and the unconscious. Dissociated control, imagination, and phenomenology of dissociation. Measuring Dissociation. Studying the interaction between physical and psychological states with the Dissociative Experiences Scale. Systematizing dissociation: symptomatology and diagnostic assessment. Culture and Dissociation. Pacing the void: social and cultural dimensions of dissociation. Culture and dissociation: a comparison of ataque de nervios among Puerto Ricans and possession syndrome in India. Dissociation: Mind and Body. Dissociation and physical illness. Physiological correlates of hypnosis and dissociation. Conclusion.

About the Author

David Spiegel, M.D., is Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Director of the Psychosocial Treatment Laboratory at Stanford University School of Medicine, in Stanford, California.

Reviews

"For those trying to understand the processes leading to dissociation, this book provides a valuable overview of knowledge to date of the cognitive, sociocultural, psychometric, and physiological aspects of dissociation, as well as descriptions and definitions of the varying phenomenology of dissociation. I recommend this book highly to anyone interested in the topic of dissociation."-- "Judith Hammerling Gold, M.D., F.R.C.P.C., Past President, American College of Psychiatrists"

"In this book you will find not so much complete agreement as thoughtful examination of intersecting issues and, hopefully, a useful integration of the related cultural, mental, and physical aspects of dissociation."-- "David Spiegel, M.D., From the Introduction"

"Our new nomenclature, DSM-IV, has new diagnoses and new symptoms in the criteria for these, and dissociation figures more prominently than in DSM-III. But this book goes far beyond such descriptive classifications. The wide range of phenomena that could be labeled as part of a set called dissociative experiences are considered in relation to possible etiologies. Biological, social, and psychological aspects of causation are considered and, above all, the linkages that may be possible between each realm of determining influences. It is this kind of multifaceted rethinking of even our basis for describing mental events and social behaviors that can start a new era of scientific study of the cause of psychiatric signs and symptoms. Join in the dialogue: reading this book is warmly recommended!"-- "Mardi J. Horowitz, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco"