Embracing Dissociation as a Skill: From Survival to Spiritual Reconnaissance
Plantar fasciitis, achilles tendinitis, two fractures, and Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). I’ve had a litany of foot problems over the last 12 to 15 years. As a physical therapist and neurosomatic expert, I have treated myself, done sessions with skilled colleagues, and seen everyone from Reiki masters and shamans to osteopathic doctors.
All of them help some. Some more than others. What helped the most? What broke the cycle?
Shamanic journeying.
Shamanic journeying is a form of dissociation used therapeutically to gain insight into questions or facilitate healing and personal growth. My problem was not that I wasn’t in my body due to trauma; it was that I was stuck in my body and needed to free myself up.
The fact that this dissociative tool unlocked my foot was deeply meaningful to me. In recent years, I have suppressed my own intuitive gifts to appear more scientifically credible – which I always was. Now that I know the neuroscientific overlap between dissociation, spiritual experiences, validated psychic mediums, and more conditions that involve auras, like epileptic seizures, I am finally more willing to be my authentic self and open my relationship with the spirit world back up in new and old ways.
Dissociation is often misunderstood as purely pathological, but it can be a profound skill when harnessed intentionally. While clinical dissociation arises from trauma and requires therapeutic support, other forms—like spiritual mediumship and shamanic journeying—demonstrate how dissociation can be a purposeful tool for accessing information beyond ordinary awareness. The key distinction lies in control, integration, and the ability to "complete the cycle" of dissociation and return.
The Dissociation Spectrum: Pathology vs. Purpose
Dissociation exists on a continuum, from everyday zoning out to trauma-related disorders like Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Pathological dissociation involves involuntary disconnection from reality, often accompanied by distress, memory gaps, and impaired functioning. In contrast, mediums and spiritual practitioners dissociate voluntarily to access information, then reintegrate with new insights. Both involve temporal-parietal junction activity. Research confirms that mediums score higher on dissociation scales than non-mediums, yet remain below clinical thresholds for pathology. Their dissociation is a reconnaissance mission: a focused departure and return with "intel" from non-ordinary states.
Therapeutic Dissociation: Mastering the Cycle
To dissociate therapeutically—whether for spiritual practice or trauma recovery—requires three phases:
Departure with Intention: Mediums enter trance states consciously, often through ritual or meditation. Similarly, trauma therapy teaches grounding techniques before exploring dissociation, ensuring safety. Tools like breathwork, body scans, or sensory anchoring (e.g., holding an ice cube) prevent overwhelming detachment.
Navigating the Dissociative Space: Mediums receive messages from "beyond"; In shamanic journeying, you might find your own medicine with a spirit guide, or a shaman might do it for you. Others might access fragmented memories or emotions. The challenge is to remain present enough to observe without becoming entangled in the experience. Techniques in psychotherapy include Internal communication (e.g., Fraser’s Dissociative Table, where inner "parts" dialogue at a metaphorical table) and journaling to map dissociative states and their triggers.
Return and Integration: This phase is critical. Mediums validate their insights through corroborated details. In therapy, integration involves: processing retrieved memories with modalities like EMDR or Internal Family Systems (IFS) or rebuilding self-compassion to reduce shame around dissociative experiences. In physical therapy to support mental health, integration involves exercises such as the Infinity Walk, which utilizes multiple systems, including the vestibular, visual, and somatosensory systems. Grounding practices—like the 5-4-3-2-1 technique (5 things you see, 4 you touch, etc.) and rubbing your foot with a soft cloth anchor this return. Without integration, dissociation remains incomplete, like a soldier returning from recon without getting a debriefing.
Why Completion Matters
Pathological dissociation traps individuals in fragmented states, but therapeutic dissociation becomes a cycle of empowerment. Mediums and Shamans use it to bridge spiritual and physical realms, returning with guidance. Trauma survivors learn to visit painful memories without becoming stuck, transforming dissociation from a prison into a navigable tool. Healing isn’t a battle for presence; it’s an invitation for the body to remember its own sanctuary.
The Takeaway: Dissociation as a Learned Skill
Dissociation isn’t inherently problematic. Like fire, it can destroy or illuminate. The difference lies in choice, control, and closure. By practicing therapeutic dissociation—setting intentions, navigating inner realms, and integrating discoveries—we transform a survival mechanism into a skill for growth. Whether retrieving spiritual messages or fragmented selves, completion of the cycle turns dissociation into wisdom.
How do you learn how to do this?