ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the dimension of religion that non-believers often find most troublesome – the supernatural and numinous aspects which attend all religions – which the author calls the ‘missing dimension’ because it is not taken into account by the largely secular practitioners of politics, diplomacy and conflict resolution. The evidence is, however, that it is the dimension of religion most valued by many believers, and therefore it needs to be taken seriously. The author explores the nature of religious experience with the help of William James, among others, and what it means in psychodynamic terms. Following on from this the idea of the ‘divided Self’ is considered and Jung's idea of the ‘individuation’ process that seeks to heal it, with religion being a key component of the process.
