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 point 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 or 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 and 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. 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. 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

This is a fascinating pamphlet, with challenging insights and observations. It is the story of how the author has dealt with mental illness, with the support of her Quaker meeting. She explains her strategies for managing her illness and getting well, and some of her experiences. There is a helpful appendix on process for a committee of care for a mentally ill person. ( )

A challenging, deeply honest history of an individual's struggle with and beyond serious mental illness. Understanding and a way forward was offered by classical Biblical metaphor. Support was fprovided by a stalwart support committee. Heroic. ( )

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