Introduction -- Samāʻ in early Sufi literature: an overview -- The language of samāʻ and other key concepts -- The psychology of samāʻ part 1 -- The psychology of samāʻ part 2 -- The psychology of samāʻ according to the Sufi writers -- The Sufis' explanations of their altered state experiences -- The ritual behaviour and etiquette of samāʻ -- The paradigmatic experience of two 'ecstatics', Nūrī and Shiblī -- Conclusions.