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Daydreams

Daydreaming, Escapism, and PTSD

by Mike Nichols on August 13, 2008 · 1 comment

What is daydreaming? What is escapism? And are these symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

These are questions set for me by Spark, one of the readers of this blog.

The words “escapism” and “daydreaming” have strong moral overtones, especially “escapism.” Our society, based on Puritanism, frowns on all things that can’t be termed “productive.” To waste time in escapism and daydreaming are looked down upon as “lazy” or “sinful,” whether the terms are used in a secular or religious sense.

What exactly is escapism? Is it always a bad thing? And similarly, daydreaming: Is it mere escapism? Does it provide something useful to humans? Is it laziness? What is the nature of the flashbacks experienced with PTSD? Are they a type of daydreaming, or just escapism?

These are the important issues explored in this post.

This is the first post of a series in which I answer readers’ questions. If you would like to ask a question, please feel free to leave your question in a comment or use the Contact tab to email me. I answer all questions, whether or not you agree to have it be the subject of a post. If you do agree, you will not be identified by name.

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