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Knowing and not knowing massive psychic trauma: forms of traumatic memory
The International Journal of Psycho-Analysis
|April 1, 1993
Summary
Massive historical trauma is difficult to know due to psychic defense mechanisms and inadequate language. This study explores various ways of knowing and not knowing trauma, from clinical symptoms to narrative forms.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Trauma Studies
- Sociology
Background:
- Trauma, particularly massive historical trauma, presents unique challenges to knowledge acquisition.
- Psychic integrity is threatened by the overwhelming nature of traumatic experiences, leading to defensive avoidance.
- Understanding how individuals and societies process collective trauma is crucial for healing and prevention.
Observation:
- Trauma knowledge is often fragmented, appearing in clinical symptoms, transference patterns, life narratives, and testimonies.
- Metaphor serves as a unique mode of knowing and processing trauma, especially for those indirectly affected.
- There exists a spectrum of knowing trauma, influenced by proximity and psychological distance from the event.
Findings:
- Individuals and groups manifest varying levels of awareness and integration regarding historical trauma.
- Defensive mechanisms and cognitive limitations impede direct comprehension of overwhelming traumatic events.
- Indirect knowing, such as through metaphor, offers alternative pathways to engage with trauma.
Implications:
- Therapeutic strategies must acknowledge and address the diverse forms of knowing and not knowing trauma.
- Recognizing the continuum of trauma processing can inform interventions for individuals and communities.
- Developing methods to facilitate more integrated and owned knowing of historical trauma is essential for psychological resilience.