Trauma: Can Trauma Cause Someone To See Themselves As Just An Observer Of Reality?

When someone wakes up in the morning, it can be as though they are simply observing what is going on around them. Once they have left their bedroom or wherever they were sleeping, their experience can be the same.

Therefore, if something takes place that annoys them, it won’t have anything to do with them. It will just be something that they have experienced and they might hope that they don’t experience it again.

Certain Areas

If another person annoyed them, they could believe that this person is in the wrong and that they need to change. The emotional experience that they had will just be a natural response to what has happened.

However, when it comes to their job, for instance, this could be seen as an area of their life that they are actively participating in. So when it comes to how well they do, they will have a certain amount of control.

A Different Experience

If they are in a relationship that is not going well or if they have had a number of relationships that were not very good, they could believe that they are just unlucky. Even if they do have control when it comes to their career, this area of their life will be different.

There could be people in their life who are both in the same position and who have the same outlook. Having people like this in their life will validate what they believe, taking away the need for them to change their outlook.

Society

When it comes to what is taking place where they live and the world as a whole, they could believe that it would be different if a certain person wasn’t, or was, in power. Once again, they won’t be playing a part in what is going on ‘out there’.

Not only this, most of their fellow human beings can be also be seen as playing no part in what is going on. Like them, then, they will just be being victimised by the people that have all of the power.

Black and White

If they were to pay attention to the mainstream media, they are unlikely to hear about anything that will go against this view. They, like everyone else in their country, will just be victims.

The only way that anything will change will be if the right person gets into power and does the right thing, or if all the ‘bad’ people were to disappear. Until that point in time, people will just have to put up with what is going on and to live in hope.

A Closer Look

But, although one may see themselves as just an observer of what is taking place ‘out there’, what if this is not the truth? What if they are actually playing a part in what takes place in their own life and what takes place on the planet as a whole?

If this is the case, the big question is: why wouldn’t someone be able to realise that they are not just observers of their life? When it comes to why someone wouldn’t be able to realise what is going on, it can be due to trauma.

Going Deeper

To understand why it would be due to trauma, it will be necessary to look into what can happen after someone has experienced trauma. When someone experiences trauma, it will mean that their system will be overwhelmed and this will stop them from being able to integrate what has taken place.

As result of this, they can disconnect from their body (their emotional self) and end up living in their head. Through living on the surface of themselves, what is taking place in their body will a mystery.

A Divided Being

In other words, one won’t have dealt with what took place, but they will still be carrying the effects of what took place. This might not have been a one-off, though, as they may have experienced a number of both big and small traumas throughout their early years and adult years.

What is being held in their body will prevent them from being able to operate as a whole human being and it will have an impact on how they experience life. If one was separate from everyone and everything, their inner world wouldn’t have an effect on their outer world.

The Big Illusion

But, as they are out of touch with what is taking place inside them, it won’t be possible for them to see how their outer reality is a reflection of what is taking place internally. Thanks to the defences that their mind has created to keep them alive, their attention will primarily be directed towards the external world.

In order for them to see the connection between their inner and outer world, they will need to direct their attention inwards. To do this, they will need to let go of the defences that are in place.

Awareness

Ultimately, these defences will be there to stop them from falling apart and being overwhelmed by pain. With this in mind, these defences won’t be able to be removed overnight; will have to be gradually removed.
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If one can relate to this, and they are ready to become a more integrated human being, they may need to reach out for external support. This is something that can take place with the assistance of a therapist or a healer. 

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Oliver JR Cooper
http://www.oliverjrcooper.co.uk