Time Quote by Dori Laub
““The traumatic event, although real, took place outside the parameters of “normal” reality, such as causality, sequence, place, and time. The trauma is thus an event that has no beginning, no ending, no before, no during and no after. This absence of categories that define it lends it to a quality of “otherness”, a salience, a timelessness and a ubiquity that puts it outside the range of associatively linked experiences, outside the range of comprehension, of recounting and of mastery. Trauma survivors live not with memories of the past, but with an event that could not and did not proceed through to its completion, has no ending, attained no closure, and therefore, as far as its survivors are concerned, continues into the present and is current in every respect.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Trauma and Memory, Dori Laub, 1995
Trauma creates an event that defies normal temporal and causal categories, leaving survivors with a perpetual, unfinished sense of the experience.
In simple terms: Trauma feels endless and outside normal time.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the timeless impact of trauma.
Themes
psychology
trauma
memory
identity
Mood
somber
reflective
Type
analytical
empathetic
When to use this quote
- therapy sessions
- support groups
- personal reflection
- creative expression
Key Concepts
existential
otherness
timelessness
Questions to Reflect On
- How does the sense of timelessness affect daily life?
- What practices help create a sense of closure?
A Different Perspective
Trauma may also be integrated over time with processing and support.
