Chapter 15. Dissociation and the “Volcanic Model” (4)

In this context, I will use volcanic activities as metaphors to discuss dissociative disorders. Patients with dissociative disorders may function well for a while, but once some other identities become active, they might have problems, especially when these identities are violent, emotional, or what structural dissociation theory calls EPs (emotional personalities). As EPs carry traumatic memories, with their activation the individual might get frantic and disorganized, confusing and disturbing people around, and often ending up losing their friends or jobs. To discuss how to deal with these identities, the use of volcanic metaphor can be useful. The reason why volcanic metaphor is used is that it can express suddenness, unpredictability and violent nature of the activation of some identities.
The figure shown here describes an active volcano, a dormant volcano, and a dead volcano.




Figure (####) volcanic metaphor of dissociation

  The left one, an active volcano has current volcanic activities. In the middle dormant volcano, activities are suspended, but there is still at a risk of eruption at any time. The Left one is a dead volcano which activities are not seen for a certain period of time and there is no expectation that it would resume its activities. What is indicated below these images of volcanoes is the tectonic movement. Volcanic activities are often triggered by this movement or something else.
You might realize that this type of classification is not clear-cut at all. For example, if some dormant volcanoes do not show their activities anymore, they were practically dead volcanoes after their last eruptions. On the other hand, what is classified as a dead volcano might erupt if it is stirred up by sudden and unexpected tectonic movement, and therefore it was not really dead. Thus it is very hard to foresee what might be the future of these volcanoes. (By the way, recent volcanology is no longer using this classification. See below*)