Dissociation is defined clinically as a disruption or discontinuity in the integration of consciousness, memory, identity, emotion, perception, body representation, motor control, and behavior. Dissociation functions as a coping mechanism that can disconnect traumatic memories from conscious awareness, shielding individuals from associated pain or fear. Mild dissociative states are common and routinely occur during autopilot activities like driving or daydreaming. Evolutionary cognitive processes favor habituated behavior to conserve mental effort. While dissociation is adaptive and protective, its intensity and persistence can produce maladaptive outcomes, particularly when associated with trauma and altered memory processing.
Although a technically correct description, I find that it does not capture the more personal aspects of dissociative states. I like a definition from An Infinite Mind (2025) when used in conjunction with the DSM-V: "Dissociation is a coping skill that disconnects traumatic memories from one's consciousness, shielding them from the pain or fear associated with the trauma." But we still are missing an important component-namely, we all dissociate at times.
For example, have you ever driven to work and when you arrived realized that you didn't remember the drive? Or have you ever caught yourself daydreaming during an important meeting? Our evolutionary brains are wired to develop habituated patterns of behavior-or autopilot-to simplify life (Comer, 2020). Basically, unless checked, our brains want to be lazy! These two simple examples demonstrate harmless and routine dissociative states. They often occur during times of boredom or with routine tasks that require no focused concentration.
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