Safeword

Safeword, 2020
76x101 cm
Acrylic on canvas
 
Some parasitoid wasps can directly attack the section of the host’s brain responsible for the fight and flight response. If done successfully, the host loses all instincts of survival and self-protection, it has become hypnotised in a sense. This creates the ideal host for the delicate ovipositing process.
Peritraumatic dissociation, which occurs during a traumatic event, is believed to be a defence mechanism to aid in coping with an overwhelming trauma that cannot be escaped. It is often listed among other symptoms such as depersonalisation or derealisation. In some cases, there are somatoform symptoms such as Analgesia, the inability to feel pain. This process creates a mental distance between the trauma and the person experiencing it.