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Hundreds of people to whom I have ministered, have had a nagging fear that they are insane. They may have had numerous psychological diagnoses, taken many prescriptions for their problems and even have been hospitalized without significant improvement. In fact, these are a few of the points for diagnosing dissociation. I take great joy in explaining to dissociative persons that they are not insane! I say, ” You are not insane.” [Silence] “You are not insane.” [Silence] “You are not insane. I am very proud of you because you had three choices. You may have given into death, you could have chosen to break with reality…..to go insane…, but you made the best choice….you dissociated.”

The people used their God-given coping mechanism to “go away” or go “inside” from the perceived or actual trauma in order to survive the conflict. They would then simultaneously or at the same time, create another aspect of themselves to “suffer” or “perform” the life event. These other selves are sometimes called parts or alters. The trauma is often then locked away in the trauma holding part of the brain found in the lower back of our heads. This area of the head is called the occipital area. You may have experienced discomfort there when something reminds you of some bad event. For Dissociative persons, we might also describe this as a part or an alter has been triggered or cued to be active. Clients often put their hand at the back of their head and complain of discomfort during prayer ministry time when memories are coming forth.

The person God creates at the time of conception is the Original Person. The combination of the ova and sperm which carry the genetic material which will determine the uniqueness of the individual, plus their spirit, is this Original Person.

In the event of trauma, we have been designed with the capacity to dissociate. (See Archived Insights: The Original Person ) Dissociation is a coping mechanism. Webster defines coping as a way to strike, to fight or contend successfully.

People use many coping mechanisms. Some are healthy or adaptive and others are actually harmful for us and are called mal-adaptive. For instance, one might become overly charming and persuasive in event of perceived harm or a difficult circumstance. Humor, sarcasm, banter, developing excellent communication skills or changing the subject can be used to cope. Another person may become brusque or even combative. Others may escape by running. Still others avoid by going to sleep or zoning out with T.V. Society is plagued by epidemics of food and drug addictions to numb pain. Still others have completely left reality and remain in that constant state of insanity.

Insight ImageWe all dissociate. Young children dissociate easily. Daydreaming and highway amnesia are forms of dissociation. We can better understand dissociation as a continuum. On the beginning end of the line is daydreaming etc. but at the extreme other end is Dissociative Identity Disorder [DID]. DID often presents with people having memory losses or not being aware of having been somewhere, spending money, making a commitment. It is common for clients to complain others accused them of saying something they didn’t or acting very different, often childish.

People who have used the coping mechanism of dissociation primarily also use the coping mechanism of DENIAL. The joke goes, this is not the river, Nile. No, it is a way to fool oneself into disbelieving a truth. The truth may be a way of thinking, acting or an event in one’s life or sometimes another’s life. The reason the person wants to disbelieve the truth is because they perceive that to know it would be too painful or too overwhelming. In some cases, they believe that to acknowledge it would require potentially dangerous confrontations on their part. For others, they may believe to do so would activate internal or external danger for them or others. Yes, it could also be any combination of the above as well. In fact, dissociation is all about denying the conflict.

In some cases, the child is still developing in the womb at this traumatic conflict time. The birth mother could be seriously ill, smoking [cutting off oxygen supply], taking harmful drugs, in an accident, attacked physically, psychologically, sexually or spiritually. It is important to remember that during the gestation or pregnancy, what mommy thinks, baby thinks and what mommy feels, baby feels. You see, thoughts and emotions are electrochemicals, which are small enough to cross the placental barrier. In essence, the baby is sharing some of the same blood components with the mother. In some cases, these stressful situations are set up by nefarious people specifically to initiate a Dissociative episode in the fetus so they can later program the child for mind control.

There has been a lot of controversy about the possibility for anyone to remember something, which happened to him or her in the womb, as an infant or as a very young child.

Sadly, many traumatized people have been more severely traumatized by people who have insisted they could not possibly remember events at young ages because the physical brain is not developed adequately to do so. This is true. Science has demonstrated that the physical brain is not capable to have memory at very young ages. Scientific research shows that our brains cannot function in a way to have memory or many other functions until the specific development has occurred. Dr. Allan Schore’s book, Affect Regulation and the Origin of Self, is an excellent resource for this. For instance, the control center for our brain is not finished until after birth! Actually, our brains are not fully developed until around 12-13 years of age. Isn’t it interesting that bar mitzvah for males and bat mitzvah for females occurs that age? This is the age of accountability or becoming responsible as an adult according to our Creator.

Regardless of the fetal state of development, including before the brain is developed, the child’s spirit is interestingly mature and aware at the moment of conception. This spirit has capacity for memory. I encourage you to go to the library or go on-line to read the research of scientists who have studied human brain development. Look for those which have proven there is an intelligence, a knowing, a memory which cannot be attributed to the physical brain. So it is also true that a fetus, infant or young child has memory and can remember.

The story of John the Baptist leaping in his mother’s womb when Mary the mother of Jesus Christ approached is interesting to reflect upon. There are other fascinating fetal accounts in the Bible as well. Have fun searching them out.

Since we are now confident that we can remember as far back as conception, take heart if you are one of those people who have been discredited. Choose to forgive those who did not know or still do not know the truth. It is time to believe in yourself and to respect yourself for all you had to endure.

Since it is our spirit which carries these memories, pray that God will strengthen your spirit. We were created for our spirit to rule over our soul and body. Call your spirit to attention in the name of Jesus Christ. Encourage it with the Word of God, especially uplifting Psalms. Speak out loud to your spirit with encouraging promises of God and affirm who you are in Christ Jesus. Books of Bible promises are available in Christian Book stores.

I bless your spirit to turn to your creator and be one with His Holy Spirit, our only perfect comforter.

You can get a daily spirit blessing online at: theslg.com.

Ref: Schore, Allan N., Affect Regulation and the Origin of Self, Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc. Inc., New Jersey, 1994