I think experiences like this provide a framework for us to confront and then move on from problems we are avoiding. the same goes for tarot or self help books or religions or even any abstract processes.

we inscribe ourselves into the narrative and populate it (subconsciously?) with our biggest issues. The narrative plays out and provides us with solutions to our conundrum. I believe this is how religions, cults, management paradigms (and even computer science design patterns) and are born.

All of it is just a trick we play on ourselves to get out of analysis paralysis.