Religious and therapeutic elements in Sufi teaching stories.
Journal of Religion and Health September 1, 1988 DOI: 10.1007/bf01533183 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Sufi tales provide important insights into religious experience and emotional well-being by illustrating non-rational problem-solving, consciousness-raising, and encounters with unexpected reality. |
Abstract
Like the teaching stories of many other religions-the parables of Jesus, Zen koans, Hasidic tales-the stories of the Sufis, or Islamic mystics, offer important insights into the nature of religious experience and emotional well-being. This paper discusses the comments of selected Sufi tales on the basic structure of situations, non-rational or lateral problem-solving techniques, the process of consciousness-raising, and the experience of confronting unexpected reality.