Reports the scientific findings and conceptualizations about dissociation. This book defines and establishes the boundaries of the knowledge in the dissociative disorders field. It identifies and articulates the field's points of confusion, gaps in knowledge, and conjectures. It clarifies the different aspects and implications of dissociation.

Part I: Dissociation: An Overview. van der Hart, Dorahy, History of the Concept of Dissociation. Braude, The Conceptual Unity of Dissociation: A Philosophical Argument. Part II: Developmental Approaches to Dissociation. Carlson, Yates, Sroufe, Dissociation and the Development of the Self. Liotti, Attachment and Dissociation. Silberg, Dallam, Dissociation in Children and Adolescents: At the Crossroads. Dutra, Bianchi, Siegel, Lyons-Ruth, The Relational Context of Dissociative Phenomenon. Barlow, Freyd, Adaptive Dissociation: Information Processing and Response to Betrayal. Schore, Attachment Trauma and the Developing Right Brain: Origins of Pathological Dissociation. Part III: Normal and Exceptional Dissociation. Dalenberg, Paulson, The Case for the Study of "Normal" Dissociation Processes. Steele, Dorahy, van der Hart, Nijenhuis, Dissociation versus Alterations in Consciousness: Related but Different Concepts. Cardena, van Dujil, Weiner, Terhune, Possession/Trance Phenomenon. Part IV: Acute Dissociation. Bryant, Is Peritraumatic Dissociation Always Pathological? Moskowitz, Evans, Peritraumatic Dissociation and Amnesia in Violent Offenders. Beere, Dissociative Perceptual Reactions: The Perceptual Theory of Dissociation. Part V: Chronic Dissociation. Dell, The Phenomena of Pathological Dissociation. Steele, van der Hart, Nijenhuis, The Theory of Trauma-Related Structural Dissociation of the Personality. Nijenhuis, Somatoform Dissociation and Somatoform Dissociative Disorders. Beere, The Self-System as Mechanism for the Dissociative Disorders: An Extension of the Perceptual Theory of Dissociation. O'Neil, Dissociative Multiplicity and Psychoanalysis. Part VI: Neurobiology of Dissociation. Brenner, Neurobiology of Dissociation: A View from the Trauma Field. Nijenhuis, den Boer, Psychobiology of Traumatization and Trauma-Related Structural Dissociation of the Personality. Simeon, Neurobiology of Depersonalization Disorder. Pain, Bluhm, Lanius, Dissociation in Patients with Chronic PTSD: Hyperactivation and Hypoactivation Patterns, Clinical and Neuroimaging Perspectives. Part VII: The DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders.Dell, The Long Struggle to Diagnose Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD): I. MPD. Dell, The Long Struggle to Diagnose Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD): II. Partial MPD. Ross, Dissociative Amnesia and Dissociative Fugue. Simeon, Depersonalization Disorder. Part VIII: Dissociation in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Waelde, Silvern, Carlson, Fairbank, Kletter, Dissociation in PTSD. Ginzburg, Butler, Saltzman, Koopman, Dissociative Reactions in PTSD. Ford, Dissociation in Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder or Disorders of Extreme Stress Not Otherwise Specified (DESNOS). Part IX: Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder and Substance Dependence. Zanarini, Jager-Hyman, Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder. Howell, Blizard, Chronic Relational Trauma Disorder: A New Diagnostic Scheme for Borderline Personality and the Spectrum of Dissociative Disorders. Somer, Opiod Use Disorder and Dissociation. Part X: Dissociation and Psychosis.Moskowitz, Read, Farrelly, Rudegeair, Williams, Are Psychotic Symptoms Traumatic in Origin and Dissociative in Kind? Sar, Ozturk, Psychotic Presentations of Dissociative Identity Disorder. Nurcombe, Scott, Jessop, Dissociative Hallucinosis. Ross, The Theory of a Dissociative Subtype of Schizophrenia. Part XI: Assessment and Measurement of Dissociation.Frankel, Dissociation and Dissociative Disorders: Clinical and Forensic Assessment with Adults. Brown, True Drama or True Trauma? Forensic Trauma Assessment and the Challenge of Detecting Malingering. Part XII: Treatment of Dissociation. Kluft, A Clinician's Understanding of Dissociation: Fragments of an Acquaintance. Gold, Seibel, Treating Dissociation: A Contextual Approach. Bromberg, Multiple Self-States, the Relational Mind, and Dissociation: A Psychoanalytic Perspective. Stern, Dissociation and Unformulated Experience: A Psychoanalytic Model of Mind. Part XIII: Toward a Clarified Understanding of Dissociation. Dell, Lawson, An Empirical Delineation of the Domain of Pathological Dissociation. Sar, Ross, A Research Agenda for the Dissociative Disorders Field. Dell, Understanding Dissociation.

"This is the definitive source for information on dissociative topics. The editors have compiled a comprehensive resource that includes the most up-to-date information on theory, research, and clinical practice from the most authoritative experts in the field. Clinicians and academics alike will benefit from having this book on their shelves and will refer to it often." - Christine A. Courtois, co-editor of Treating complex traumatic stress disorders: An Evidence-based Guide, and author of Recollections of Sexual Abuse: Treatment Principles and Guidelines and Healing the Incest Wound: Adult Survivors in Therapy"This is an excellent, integrative book about dissociation, written by outstanding leaders in the field. Ranging from astute developmental and clinical description to cutting-edge neurobiology, it accurately assesses the past and points knowledgeably to the future. The careful reader will learn what people with a dissociative disorder often do: acquire strength from the assimilation of varied points of view." - David Spiegel, Willson Professor and Associate Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, USA, and co-editor of Traumatic Dissociation: Neurobiology and Treatment, American Psychiatric Publishing, 2007"This volume delineates existing concepts, phenomena and pathologies of dissociation, while thoughtfully addressing their differences in conceptualizing still unresolved issues in the field. Most impressively, it offers a well-founded proposal for a new conceptualization of the Dissociative Disorders." - Ursula Gast, Medical Director, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Bielefeld, Germany, and Board of Directors, German-speaking Society for Psychotraumatology