Saint hysteria

By Cristina Mazzoni

Book Description

In the fascinating intersection between spirituality and psychology, Cristina Mazzoni explores a provocative question that has shaped our understanding of women's religious experiences for centuries. Drawing from scientific, literary, and religious texts spanning the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, particularly in Italy and France, this scholarly investigation examines how society has interpreted the profound otherness of female spiritual expression.

Mazzoni delves into the complex relationship between mystical ecstasy and what medical authorities once labeled hysteria, revealing how these two seemingly different phenomena became intertwined in cultural consciousness. Through the lens of cultural studies, feminism, and psychoanalytic criticism, she traces the historical process by which genuine mystical experiences were often pathologized and dismissed as neurotic symptoms.

The book illuminates an ongoing tension between two competing interpretations: the medical view that historicizes hysteria as a psychological condition, and the spiritual perspective that recognizes it as suppressed religious mysticism seeking expression. This exploration offers readers insight into how gender, spirituality, and medical authority have intersected throughout history.

For those interested in understanding how women's spiritual experiences have been perceived and categorized, this work provides valuable context for recognizing authentic mystical expression beyond the constraints of historical prejudice. Mazzoni's research opens pathways for reconsidering the relationship between psychological states and spiritual awakening.