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Coping With Triggers
Joseph F. Kelly
Conference: Psychological Manipulation, Cultic Groups,
and Other Alternative Movements, Madrid, Spain,
July 14-16, 2005
"Floating" is a word often used in association with "trancing
out," "spacing out," "being triggered," or "dissociation." Ex-cult members
describe it in several ways, including (but not limited to) feeling
disconnected, feeling as though you're watching yourself live your life, having
spells where you experience uncontrollable emotions (usually sadness or anger)
that is not appropriate to what is happening at the moment. It is also
described as having exaggerated physical sensations, having anxiety or mild
panic attacks, or having a fantasy or dream like vision, almost like a dream
that invades your waking state. Most ex-members report that these experiences
make them feel as though there is something drastically wrong with them; they
feel as though they may be going crazy. The purpose of this article is to take
the fear out of these experiences and bring about some understanding that they
are not abnormal.
Triggered experiences are common to people who have been
through a traumatic experience or prolonged periods of stress. Life in a cult is
stressful and, for some former members, extremely traumatic. In addition, cults
induce altered states of consciousness in many ways. Some cults produce
trance-induced experiences through meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues,
guided visualization, auditing and/or decreeing. Other cults produce
dissociative states when putting members through long, confrontational
("struggle") sessions. Still others overload the senses through rhythmic
drumming, music, information overload or simply through long, emotionally laden
sermons or lectures.
Periods of "floating" are usually brought on by a
"trigger." Dr. Margaret T. Singer speaks of the importance of being able to
define and label these varying experiences. To define the word "trigger," she
uses the following examples: "It triggered my memory of . . . "; "it reminds me
of . . . "; "it made me recall or re-experience memories."
This session will discuss triggers and how to manage them.
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