Self-Discovery

The Opathian state develops when a child's nervous system makes a specific calculation: full emotional presence is too dangerous. The environments that produce this calculation are not always dramatic.

The OPATHIAN state is not numbness. People in this state are painfully aware of what they lack: emotional depth, joy, and connection. It is the feeling that others naturally experience these things while you watch from a distance you cannot close.

You know that feeling when you're watching yourself from outside your body? When you're in a conversation, or at work, or even with someone you love, and you're observing yourself instead of living?