Jan 1, 2025 3 min read Breathing techniques

13. What is the difference between dissociation and detachment?

The subconscious acts like a guardian angel, shielding the conscious mind from distress by stepping in to block awareness of traumatic or overwhelming experiences.

Photo by Scott Umstattd / Unsplash

The main difference between dissociation and detachment lies in the level of awareness with which you disengage from an experience.

Dissociation

Dissociation occurs when you unconsciously disengage from an experience to cope or protect your conscious mind. For example, during a traumatic event, it’s as though your mind propels you out of the present moment until it feels safe to bring you back. This phenomenon is often likened to a blackout but is perhaps better described as a "blankout."

When I work with clients who have experienced ongoing childhood trauma, I’ve observed that the first few instances of trauma often occur with conscious awareness. However, as the subconscious mind learns to recognise these experiences as traumatic and disturbing, it takes control, shielding the conscious mind to protect it from fully engaging with subsequent traumatic events. I call this the "blankout effect," where the subconscious acts as a kind of guardian angel, stepping in to prevent the conscious mind from enduring the experience again.

Dissociation isn’t limited to trauma, though. It can also happen during mundane or unengaging experiences that fail to enrich or inspire. Have you ever arrived somewhere only to realise you’ve completely blanked out the journey? That’s dissociation. It used to happen to me frequently at parties or events where repetitive conversations centred on trends and topics served only to validate one another. In those moments, my mind felt like it had drifted into an empty daydream.

I theorise that consistent and regular dissociation may lead to repression and severe forgetfulness over time. In fact, I’d go as far as to propose that severe trauma might be linked to mental conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.

How to Manage Dissociation

To manage dissociation and remain present during an experience, it’s essential to consciously anchor yourself. One effective method is through intentional breathing. Much like keeping yourself awake when you’re on the verge of drifting off, your breath can help you maintain awareness. Focused breathing allows you to stay grounded in the moment and prevents the mind from pulling you away.

Detachment

Detachment, on the other hand, is a conscious and deliberate choice to disengage from an experience. This can be done for various reasons, such as to observe, analyse, or simply create space. Detachment is a key practice in meditation, especially during transcendental experiences, where you’re required to disengage from mental constructs to access higher realms of awareness.

Detachment also plays a crucial role in deep healing and trauma recovery through meditation. It enables you to explore past experiences without the risk of becoming consumed by or reattached to them. This measured disengagement is vital for processing and resolving trauma safely.

How to Practise Detachment

You already know how to practise detachment—it’s all about returning to the breath. Remember, an experience or creation can only consume you if it controls your breath. By consciously returning to your breath, you regain control and can observe the situation from a safe, detached perspective.

Coming Up Next Week

Next week, I’ll introduce you to self-healing in trauma recovery and how to resolve past issues through meditation. Stay tuned!

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Please note: Esoteric concepts are not meant to be taken literally or as absolute truths. However, they can provide valuable perspectives and context, helping our limited human minds grasp complex ideas.