dissociation

Pronunciation: dis-sō′sē-ā′shŭn, -shē-ā′shŭn

Definition:

1. Separation, or a dissolution of relations. For the following chemical, biochemical, and psychiatric senses, avoid substituting the misspelling/mispronunciation dissociation.
2. The change of a complex chemical compound into simpler ones by any lytic reaction, by ionization, by heterolysis, or by homolysis.
3. An unconscious separation of a group of mental processes from the rest, resulting in an independent functioning of these processes and a loss of the usual associations, a separation of affect from cognition.
4. A state used as an essential part of a technique for healing in psychology and psychotherapy, for instance in hypnotherapy or the neurolinguistic programming technique of Time-Line therapy.
5. The translocation between a large chromosome and a small supernumerary one.
6. Separation of the nuclear components of a heterokaryotic dikaryon.
7. The disassembly of protomers from a larger marcomolecular complex or polymer.

See: dissociative identity disorder

Synonym(s): disassociation

[L. dis-socio, pp. -atus, to disjoin, separate, fr. socius, partner, ally]

See Also: Time-Line therapy

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