Srđan Sremac 
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam 
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VOICES FROM A JUNKY LIMBO AND THE HEAVEN AFTERWARDS:

Proposal for a Narrative Investigation of Addicts Conversion Testimonies

"Trying tae manage a junk problem is the ultimate challenge.

It's also a ... good kick." (Welsh, Trainspotting, 1993: 90)

Abstract

In this article, the author proposes a narrative approach to the investigation of conversion testimonies of former drug addicts. The author argues that narratives approach provide excellent examples of the characteristics of those who have undergone personal transformation and enables us to understand what the meaning of religion is in their stories and how they coped with drug addiction. Furthermore, the author argues that drug addicts' conversion can be seen as an adaptive mechanism that helped to resolve psychological conflict and create a new self-narrative. Also, for former drug addicts telling their testimonies is an opportunity to re-interpret and re-construct their past and plan their future in the framework of the new religious (canonical) language and consequently to construct a life story as a typical conversion story.

Key words: Conversion, narrative, identity, addicts' testimonies, language, drug addiction.