Dissociation and Belief: The Psychology of Why Things Go Horribly Wrong and What to Do About It Hardcover – March 8, 2026

How can smart, well-informed people make horrible mistakes?The answer lies in the psychology of dissociation, in our human ability to separate ourmental processes from the physical world around us, and to enter our own internal worldsof thought and imagination. Dissociation has its good side, contributing to creativity andimaginative achievement in many ways. However, it can also cause us difficulties rangingfrom inconvenience to catastrophic failure, as we inadvertently mistake the products of ourown minds for the realities which surround us.Dissociation and Belief shows us how dissociation works in religious and paranormalthinking, in criminal justice and the sciences, in human disasters such as famine andwarfare, and in the more intimate world of the problems we face every day; but it alsoshows us how an understanding of dissociation, and of the ways in which our minds dealwith it, can help us to prevent difficulties and disasters in every aspect of our lives.Dissociation is a completely normal process which affects us all; but Dissociation and Beliefshows us how we can reduce or even eliminate the negative effects of dissociation invirtually every aspect of our lives, enhancing our happiness and success in our careers, forour families, and for ourselves.Drs. Matthew J. Sharps and Jana L. Price-Sharps have conducted research, teaching, andpractice in dissociation and related fields of psychology for over three decades, focusingespecially on thinking, memory, stress, and dissociation in contexts ranging from everydaylife to the special, high-stress demands faced by law enforcement, fire, and militarypersonnel. Read more