“Don’t tell me this is only takingplace in my head”

Dialogues between theology and psychology on anomalous experiences

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This article discusses how aspects of anomalous experiences can be understood in theology andpsychology and investigates the premises on which dialogues between the two disciplines may faci-litate more nuanced interpretations of such experiences. Two key issues are focused on: how ano-malous experiences can be interpreted as religious experiences, and how they are connected tomental health. By relating empirical studies of anomalous experiences to interdisciplinary theoreti-cal reflections, it is argued that there is a potential in the dialogue to buffer reductionist tendenciesin the two, separate disciplines. Holding a repertoire of different interpretations on these issues isfurther considered to be beneficial in professional practice when encountering people with anoma-lous experiences.