Prepared by: The Research Thread Editorial Collective | Innowage UK
Based on: Preprint: “Narcissistic Personality Disorder and Intimate Partner Violence: An Interdisciplinary Perspective Integrating Psychology and Astrology”
Published on: Cosmic Psychiatry | OSF Preprints
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/c7kxd_v1
Overview
This research brief explores the intersection of narcissistic personality traits, intimate partner violence (IPV), and cultural meaning-making through the dual lens of psychological theory and Vedic astrology. Drawing on participant narratives and symbolic cosmology, the study investigates how metaphysical beliefs and cultural frameworks influence the way individuals interpret and make sense of emotional harm in intimate relationships.
Rather than using astrology or psychology as stand-alone diagnostic tools, the study integrates both as cultural frameworks that offer interpretive meaning for distress. This approach allows for greater therapeutic sensitivity in mental health contexts, particularly when working with individuals whose worldviews are shaped by metaphysical, spiritual, or traditional cosmologies.
Key Themes
Symbolic Mapping of Psychological Experience
The study highlights that individuals experiencing narcissistic abuse often use symbolic language to articulate internal states and interpersonal ruptures. Participants describe feelings of entrapment, gaslighting, and self-fragmentation alongside references to karmic cycles, planetary transits, and astrological archetypes. These metaphors offer coherence and spiritual context to their trauma, even in the absence of clinical intervention.
By tracing psychological traits—such as grandiosity, lack of empathy, and emotional dysregulation—to planetary symbolism (e.g., afflicted Mars, Rahu influences), participants were able to explore their suffering as part of a greater cosmological narrative. This method of cultural processing, while non-clinical, was often reported as empowering, and in some cases, more validating than standard psychiatric explanations.
Interdisciplinary Approach to Cultural Psychiatry
Through a culturally grounded analysis, the research shows how psychological and astrological systems function not as oppositional worldviews, but as coexisting symbolic systems. The narrative-based methodology allowed participants to articulate their experiences without reduction to pathology, providing insights into the cultural psychology of relational harm. The study supports a broader vision of cultural psychiatry—one that values cultural logic, spiritual worldview, and symbolic insight as legitimate ways of processing trauma.
Rather than pathologizing belief systems, this research advocates for therapeutic environments that can respectfully hold metaphysical interpretations. This includes differentiating between spiritual abuse (where beliefs are manipulated to control others) and spiritual frameworks that aid personal insight, recovery, and meaning-making.
Clinical and Therapeutic Implications
For mental health professionals, the research provides guidance on how to support clients who integrate astrology or metaphysical symbolism into their worldview. Clinicians are encouraged to use curiosity, narrative reflection, and cultural humility in these encounters, focusing on the emotional truths behind the symbolic language.
Importantly, the study does not endorse blending astrological interpretation into clinical diagnosis or treatment. Rather, it offers a pathway for acknowledging and integrating clients’ beliefs in culturally sensitive, non-judgmental therapeutic dialogue. For clients from South Asian, diasporic, or spiritually inclined communities, this approach can foster safety, rapport, and therapeutic alliance.
Conclusion
The study contributes to an evolving field of cultural psychiatry and psychological anthropology, showing that metaphysical beliefs can provide meaningful frameworks for understanding narcissistic abuse and IPV. When these belief systems are acknowledged rather than dismissed, they can deepen therapeutic engagement and create culturally inclusive pathways to healing. Future research and clinical training must focus on integrating symbolic, cultural, and psychological perspectives to promote trauma-informed, culturally attuned mental health care.
Reference
Sharma, N. (2025). Narcissistic Personality Disorder and Intimate Partner Violence: An Interdisciplinary Perspective Integrating Psychology and Astrology. Cosmic Psychiatry | OSF Preprints. https://osf.io/c7kxd_v1/