"Soul-making" in a schizophrenic saint.

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.

Study at a glance

Abstract

"Soul-making" (cf. Jung and Hillman) is the process of integrating spiritual and bodily imagery into an intimated wholeness transcending conscious comprehension. Pierre Janet's case of the psychotic mystic, Madeleine, reveals that the patient had been "making" her own-soul even though his theory had no provision for soul. Janet's soul-stripping theory is contrasted with a soul-making approach, primarily in their respective interpretations of Madeleine's altered states of consciousness. Religious ecstasy is a "stretching" of soul, an expansion into the realm of "spirit," which requires a subsequent descent into and reconciliation with tradition, society, outer world, and body.