Abstract
Sufi narratives are ever susceptive to psychoanalytic studies per the extent of their detailed experiences and also their main function, which is to incite a kind of “mystical experience” in the reader. Accordingly, the present study attempts to introduce a novel classification of these narratives in line with the psychoanalytic concept of “transference”. In this classification, the selection of Sufi narratives and the anecdotes of Asrār-al-Tawḥid in particular, are regarded as a macro-narrative that depicts the process of psychotherapy with a focus on the concept of transference. Each micro-narrative could be categorized under one of the stages involved within the process. In this point of view, the function of most of the anecdotal narratives (Taḍkiras) is apt to be seen as corresponding to one or a number of these stages. In effect, the reader of a single text encounters all these stages in different ways, albeit in a non-linear process, by the end of the reading. These stages, defined by reference to Freudʼs views and his structuralist follower, Lacan's, are listed as: 1) establishing the subject supposed to know, 2) resistance/denial, 3) the random object of the sign, and 4) mission. Yet, the choice of Asrār al-Tawḥid in this case study has been due to several reasons, including the inclusion of morer diverse narratives than other anecdotal narratives as well as the profound impact of this text on the later Sufi narratives.
Extended Abstract
Introduction: Farzi and Pourkhaleghi Chatroudi (2009) have studied “the imaginaryˮ and “the realˮ in the personality of “Harun al-Rashid”, which is relevant to some remarks of this study. Paul (2014, translated by Ghafoori, 2016, p. 28) has implicitly highlighted the status similarity between the psychoanalyst and “walī” i.e. Sufi master. Dehghani Yazdeli and Edraki (2019, p. 149) have adopted the term “impulse” to refer to the stimulus for the evolution of narrative characters, which is corresponding to the interpretation of “the random object of the sign” in this study. Barati Khansari and Ebnali Charmhini (2020, p. 287) have referred to the “occult knowledge of the helping person” in Proppʼs views, which is linked to the concept of the “subject supposed to know,” in the present study.
Goals, Questions, Assumptions: The present discussion is subject to the reader-response psychological critique. In terms of psychoanalytic critique, the anecdote genre occupies a unique status within the Sufi texts. In the present article, the collection of Sufi narratives is regarded as a macro-narrative that depicts the process of psychotherapy with a focus on the concept of “transference,” and each micro-narrative is categorized as one of the stages involved in this process.
 
Discussion: Classification of Narratives
1. Establishing the Subject Supposed to Know
The subject supposed to know (cf. Evans, 2006, p. 214) is, in fact, the psychoanalyst himself/herself, to whom the patient attributes such authority. The main function of many Sufi narratives is to establish the very subject. These narratives are divided into two groups: (1) Narratives in which the mystic conceals his identity from a common persona, and the person never recognizes the identity and name of the mystic. (2) Narrations in which the common persona recognizes the identity of the mystic by the denouement of the narrative. In the first category’s narratives, the mystical enjoyment and experience pertain solely to the “mystic” and the “reader.” In such narratives, the mystic/reader perceives the happenings from the level of the “absolute conscious,” i.e. God. In the second category’s narratives, the common persona also partakes in this mystical enjoyment and experience.
2. Resistance/Denial
For Lacan, resistance pertains to the “the imaginary.” The Sufiʼs aim in provoking denial in the disciple is to solidify the subject supposed to know. The author distinguishes two distinct patterns in resistance-oriented narratives: (1) “I know it is legitimate, but I do not do it.” In this model, the Sufi acts or speaks against common sense or custom or the authority of Sharia. (2) “I know it is illegitimate, but I do it.” Such narratives often include Malamati themes.
3. Random Object of the Sign
At this point, the resistance is broken and the object enters the signifying chain. The Aristotelian interpretation of this incident is “anagnorisis,” which implies the “transition from ignorance to knowledge” (Payendeh, 2018, p. 72). Lacan upholds two types of knowledge, namely the imaginary knowledge and symbolic knowledge (Evans, 2006, p. 96), the former of which pertains to the ego and the latter to the subject (ibid.); and achieving the latter is deemed as the aim of psychoanalysis. The only means of achieving this knowledge is through a particular form of speech designated as “free association” (ibid.). From a mystical point of view, the individual is pre-guided too, and the mystic presents the individual simply with random objects that act as the signifier of “that sign.” In many Sufi narratives, a particular theme is portrayed: the object sent by the mystic is regarded as a sign from God, leading to the transformation of the individual.
4. Mission
At this stage, the therapy/transformation process concludes and the individual’s pursuit/mission begins. The hero of such narratives is not a commoner on the verge of a spiritual revolution, but a mystic who has risen as the Caliph of God and bestows meaning upon creation and people’s deeds with his presence and effort, as the master signifier. According to Lacan, the mystic has evolved into a subject who fills the void of “the big Other”.
Conclusion: In classification and adaptation of the narratives to the psychoanalytic stages (both Freudian and Lacanian), the author highlights the association of each stage with the concept of “transference” - either as its preparation or consequence. Altogether, the study examines the entirety of the Asrār al-Tawḥidʼs narratives from the perspective of a single process (psychoanalysis), in which each narrative represents a fragment of the macro-narrative. The main function of the text in such a view is evoking the mystical experience in the reader, rediscovering symbolic knowledge, guiding, and ultimately, reminding one of one’s mission.

The centrality of psychoanalytic criticism is the interaction between the field of art, especially literature, with psychoanalytic subjects, in this method, the subject of the text becomes a platform for recognizing the signs, roots and factors of psychosis in the three axes of the author, the text (structure and characters) and the audience; And in rare cases, it will become a method of overcoming crisis and a tool for psychotherapy. In this field, the category of anxiety and obsession is one of the important topics that have been discussed in psychology with different cognitive approaches, and it can be one of the practical topics in the text-oriented analysis of literary works. On the other hand, Golshiri's works have a high capacity for psychoanalytical analysis due to his knowledge of psychology and the conscious application of its techniques and important features in processing and strengthening personality. Therefore, this research has investigated the category of anxiety in the collection of stories " Namazkhaneye Kochake Man " with a descriptive-analytical method and has concluded that the root of anxiety in the characters of these stories is the fear of an accident. Unfortunate is in the future and the characters often turn to the basic response of avoiding the situation and basic defense mechanisms. Most of the characters are suffering from depression, anger and isolation in the face of anxiety, which will represent this crisis in various behavioral signs such as alcohol consumption, insomnia and restlessness, aggression and screaming. In general, anxiety and depression can be considered as the dominant aspect in this collection.
Extended abstract
Psychoanalytic criticism is the interaction between the field of art and literature, with psychoanalytic subjects. In this method, the subject of the text becomes a platform for recognizing the signs, roots and factors of psychosis in the three axes of the author, the text (structure and characters) and the audience; And in rare cases, it will become a method of overcoming crisis and a tool for psychotherapy. In this field, the category of anxiety and obsession is one of the important topics that have been discussed in psychology with different cognitive approaches, and it can be one of the practical topics in the text-oriented analysis of literary works. On one hand, Golshiri's works have a high capacity for psychoanalytical analysis due to his knowledge of psychology and the conscious application of its techniques and important features in processing and strengthening personality. Therefore, this research has investigated the category of anxiety in the collection of stories "Namazkhaneye Koochake Man" with a descriptive-analytical method and has concluded that the root of anxiety in the characters of these stories is the fear of an accident. On the other hand, psychologists associate anxiety with a general feeling of restlessness and worry and believe that anxiety is the thought or imagination of threats that we may face in the future. So, anxiety is an unpleasant emotion that we usually describe with words such as worry, tension and fear. Freud believes that the first experience of anxiety that every person faces in life is birth,  (Freud, 2021: 166) because birth is the moment of separation of the child from the mother. But later he changed his opinion to the fact that anxiety is the result of the conflict between unconscious sexual desires or aggression and mutual threats from external commands or reality.
Psychologists also distinguish between fear and anxiety. The difference between fear and anxiety is that in fear, the cause of danger is external, but in anxiety, the person's own internal conditions are the cause of danger, and both are mental reactions to danger. So our immediate reaction in the situation of danger is known as fear, but anxiety does not occur only at the moment of danger. In presenting different types of anxiety one should consider Freud's theory. He mentions three types of anxiety: 1. Real anxiety, which is a kind of normal fear and its cause is threats caused by dangers in the real world. 2. Neurotic anxiety, which is a threat from the institution and is much more difficult to cope with, because the institution is completely unconscious. 3. Moral anxiety that comes from command threats. As a result of this analysis, according to the presented theoretical foundations and examining the relationships between internal and external factors with anxiety, it will lead to general results. In the first story of this collection, "Namāzkhane-ye Koochak-e Man", the presence of social and pervasive anxiety in the narrator's personality is prominent. The two main factors of the formation of these anxieties in him are heredity and living environment. The presence of anxiety in the narrator has caused him to find a recluse character and turn more to the irrational response of avoidance; which led to the continuation of his anxiety and rumination and focus on himself has drowned him more than before. By convincing himself and using the defense mechanism of argumentation, the narrator has considered the subject of his anxiety as a part of his being, and the same subject is pervasive anxiety disorder and constant worry about losing the appendage. The disorder has a negative effect on his interpersonal and emotional relationships and disrupts his life to a great extent.
In the story "Aksi Baraye Qāb-e Akse Khali-ye Man", anxiety has become the basis for changing the behavior of prisoners and, in general, the feeling of anger was caused by anxiety. In the story " Har do Ruye Sekkeh", the old man's perfectionism and loneliness will become the main cause of anxiety and, as a result, anger and aggression and finally depression was apparent. Akhtar's anxiety in the story "Gorg" is manifested in the form of phobia of animals, that is, wolves, which causes him to become isolated. The presence of two features of focusing on the anxiety-causing issue and irrational response to anxiety are more prominent in this story. In the story "Arusak-e Chini-ye Man", Maryam reconstructs herself in the form of a game and by using the defense mechanism of displacement, and she releases her negative experiences and emotions with the help of her doll. In this story, the two components of anger and depression caused by anxiety are more pronounced. In the story "Masum-e Avval", the fear of the presence of the scarecrow and environmental conditions are the main causes of anxiety in the city's residents and anxiety at the end of the story becomes a part of the narrator. In the story "Masum  Dovvom", the cause of anxiety in Mustafa is guilt, and environmental factors cause anxiety in four of the characters. The defense mechanism of projection plays an important role in relieving anxiety in this narrative. In the story of " Masum-e Sevvom", the presence of personality disorders in the teacher, his passing from reality, and the use of the defensive mechanism of identification are the main factors and results of anxiety. The character of the narrator in the story "Masum-e Chaharom" is anxiety resulting from an external matter and fear of the proximity of opponents. Depression, as a common consequence of anxiety disorders, is seen in some way in all anxious personalities and even leads to suicide. Other frequent consequences of anxiety in personalities are sleep disturbance, self-blame, thinking and focusing on a stressful issue, and feeling angry and aggressive. The anxiety of people has a growing trend; To the extent that it often leads to the death of people. It can be concluded that from the author's point of view, anxiety causes a lot of personal helplessness and is paralyzing. Apart from the story of “Masum-e Sevvom”, where anxiety is caused by the presence of psychosis and personality disorder in the main character, in other stories, environmental factors play more effective roles in the appearance of anxiety in people.