Dynamics of self-dialogue in the aftermath of trauma: A “fictional dissociation”

Abstract

In light of the newly developed approach of “Virtual Fictional/Factual Positioning” (VFP), I introduce “fictional dissociation” as a new concept for evaluating “fictional positioning” and the role of storytelling as a coping strategy in the aftermath of trauma. Traumatic changes can interrupt one’s story and harm or even disconnect self-dialogue. The particular direction that survivors may take after a painful event is one of the most delicate concerns regarding trauma. This article especially examines the dynamics of self-dialogue following a fatal traumatic experience and the ways in which “fictional dissociation” as an artistic endeavour can help the self cope with psychological problems. A fictional case study from a Paul Auster novel, Oracle Night (2003/2011), displaying symptoms of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (complex PTSD) is examined to establish whether the protagonist can develop a functional dialogical self through storytelling in the act of “fictional dissociation.”