This book was shortened and published as a Pendle Hill publication

“Most of us go about our daily lives assuming that we all participate in one shared reality. As I have listened to many people’s stories, I have learned that ‘reality’ is not as shared as we may think. Research indicates that 40-80% of people have out-of-the-ordinary experiences at some times in their lives, although talking about it is rare. I commend Mariellen Gilpin for her courage to describe her own unique experiences. We may not all need to name our intense feelings as demons nor deal with our demons as the author does, but she does deal with them. Her story provides a model of someone whose experienced reality is not commonly shared, but who has grown as a person and as a Quaker in close relationship with her Friends meeting. The voices of persons labeled with mental illnesses are voices in our communities that need to be heard.” – Jennifer Elam, Quaker, psychologist, researcher, author of Dancing with God Through the Storm: Mysticism and Mental Illness. (From the Pendle Hill website.)

This book is a gift to and of the spirit in each of us. Through her writing, Elam bridges the gap between mysticism and mental illness, illustrating how these disparate realities are in fact aspect of a greater reality. Dancing with God is an invaluable resource for anyone who has ever experienced mental illness or who has worked with the mentally ill. It is also essential reading for those who seek to access mystical states of consciousness.

“Most of us go about our daily lives assuming that we all participate in one shared reality. As I have listened to many people’s stories, I have learned that ‘reality’ is not as shared as we may think. Research indicates that 40-80% of people have out-of-the-ordinary experiences at some times in their lives, although talking about it is rare. I commend Mariellen Gilpin for her courage to describe her own unique experiences. We may not all need to name our intense feelings as demons nor deal with our demons as the author does, but she does deal with them. Her story provides a model of someone whose experienced reality is not commonly shared, but who has grown as a person and as a Quaker in close relationship with her Friends meeting. The voices of persons labeled with mental illnesses are voices in our communities that need to be heard.” – Jennifer Elam, Quaker, psychologist, researcher, author of Dancing with God Through the Storm: Mysticism and Mental Illness.

Most of us go about our daily lives assuming that we all participate in one shared reality. 'Reality’ is not as shared as we may think. Research indicates that 40-80% of people have out-of-the-ordinary experiences at some times in their lives, although talking about it is rare. The author provides a model of someone whose experienced reality is not commonly shared, but who has grown as a person and as a Quaker in close relationship with her Friends meeting. The voices of persons labeled with mental illnesses are voices in our communities that need to be heard.