We understand that disconnection from the higher self within the divine realm is what allows people to stray from the divine path and, at an extreme, become a psychopath. This seems to start with the development of narcissism, which is extreme selfishness, and on to the so-called sociopath who may only have a weak conscience remaining, but a less severe state of corruption than the psychopath. Are these all sharing a common dilemma, but just on a spectrum of relative severity in consequences?

This is a suitable categorization of extremes along a spectrum of severity, so you have a good understanding that the disconnection from the higher self starts a being on the road to depravity. The only difference among them is their inner resilience and strength at the start of this watershed event traumatizing them in closing down the link to higher self to some degree. If that worsens over time, especially with spirit meddler attachments working to bring that about to a greater degree, their being and demeanor will darken accordingly, become more corrupted, and more prone to exhibiting dark thoughts and actions of all kinds. Someone who becomes increasingly selfish is moving away from the divine and, when severe enough, will justify a psychiatric profile categorization of narcissistic personality disorder. But you are correct in seeing the relationship between the behavior of many people in a bad moment who are acting selfishly, perhaps out of anger, and being unduly harsh with someone, and what the psychopath does at the drop of a hat. The difference is sometimes one of degree, but may be indistinguishable in looking at what takes place and its consequences in the moment. So then, the point of differentiation becomes what happens thereafter. The average normal person will likely regain their composure and may feel contrite and seek forgiveness from someone they have wounded. This will never happen with the psychopath unless they are carrying out a clever, purposeful, manipulation to torture someone repeatedly, but keep them under the control of the psychopath by throwing them a bone so they will not flee, until they are so beaten down they are unable to do so. Then the attacks and punishment may be unrelenting. So this is a reasonable description of the spectrum of severity of disconnection from one's divinity, for that is what is causing the aberration in conduct.