I call a time collapse a phenomenon that occurs when ideas, perceptions, feelings, as well as defenses connected with a chosen trauma collapse into ideas, perceptions, feeling and defenses connected with a current political or military conflict.

– Vamik Volkan, “Chosen Trauma, The Political Ideology of Entitlement and Violence”

Introduction by Kaley Pillinger

Time collapse is the feeling of urgency or panic experienced when one’s brain connects current events to past or planned individual or group experiences. In response to a time collapse, one behaves irrationally– evaluating the linked event as much or more than the current experience. Time expansion, its inverse, is the reversal of the time collapse phenomenon so that one can focus again on the issue at hand.

Testimonials

Witnessing Frenemies

Tahir Rashid writes about how time expansion can be used to improve relations between parties. In his story, one friend treats another friend more generously because of their history together.

Ella

In her fictional story, Siena Trautman presents an example of the pain that leads to Regression and one girl’s journey toward reversing course.