Terrorism and the Trance Perspective

By Dennis R. Wier, Executive Director, Trance Research Foundation, Inc.

Terrorism is of fearful concern to the United Nations and its member States, corporations and individuals all over the world; indeed, anti-terrorism activities are their main security concern. We will explore here a possible new approach to anti-terrorism using some of the ideas from trance research, trance analysis, non-violent communication and other resources. The goal is not to put anyone into a trance, but rather to identify trances and to end them. As a starting point, we will look at some of the conditions and observations about terrorism from the United Nations.

From the United Nations FAQ on terrorism:

What is the main cause of terrorism?

Dissatisfaction with a political or social system or policy, and an inability to change it through "mainstream" or non-violent means.

" Terrorism is a global threat with global effects; ... its consequences affect every aspect of the United Nations agenda from development to peace to human rights and the rule of law. By its very nature, terrorism is an assault on the fundamental principles of law, order, human rights, and the peaceful settlement of disputes upon which the United Nations is established. The United Nations has an indispensable role to play in providing the legal and organizational framework within which the international campaign against terrorism can unfold".

Kofi Annan
UN Secretary-General
4 October 2002

Terrorism has two components at its root

Profound Dissatisfaction – because there is no hope at all.

Inability to change – because there are no options.

And many effects

Rejection of the fundamental principles of law – because they don’t work.

Disturbance of order – because chaos is better than what exists.

Violation of human rights – because life is not respected or cherished.

Let us first start at the beginning – the assumptions of the UN. The UN Charter first proclaims:

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.

Terrorism as a strategy threatens freedom, justice and peace in the world, and so - somehow - terrorists have found themselves nominally outside of the human family. The UN proposes a multiplicity of anti-terrorism measures as the means to eliminate terrorism. But this implies eliminating (killing) some parts of the human family or in imposing onerous security measures of doubtful efficacy on the rest of us.

We will assume in this paper that terrorists are also part of the human family. We will seek to understand how this conflict between members of the human family has resulted in violence being used as a strategy to satisfy a need. It is clear these members of the human family – those who have adopted terrorism – have somehow lost their human dignity, are not being treated equally and their rights have been alienated. This must be so, because otherwise those members of the human family would have used “mainstream” or non-violent means to get their needs met. Something in the political, social system or policy over a period of time has resulted in profound dissatisfaction such that these members of the human family have resorted to violence in an attempt to get their needs met. This observation returns us to the first sentence of the UN Charter: that if we want freedom, justice and peace in the world, our goal must be to work first for the recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family. So far as this goal is not achieved and some members of the human family are excluded from sharing in this goal, we will not, in this world, have freedom, justice or peace.

If one removes the value judgments from Kofi Annan’s statement above, it might read as follows:

Terrorism is an attempt to satisfy specific needs when those needs cannot be met by normal, peaceful or legal methods. There are many examples of this, but let us examine a simple but telling example.

When kindergarten children fight over a toy, a teacher or parent can show the children how to share. By expressing needs it is possible to find honest solutions which reasonable people accept as normal, peaceful and legal. We teach children to find peaceful solutions by expressing themselves verbally because we do not want them to learn barbarous means. Alternately, shall we give kindergarten children weapons and teach them to fight? Toys, resources, water, oil, territory, food, medicine, shelter, and acknowledgment are only some of the needs of people in this world. Are these to be fought over or can we learn to express our needs? Being willing to communicate and discuss our common interests is a basic requirement for living peacefully together – and distinguishes kindergarten children from the adult world. And yet, in the world of mature, serious leaders, I notice that some governments refuse to discuss their needs with other governments, and prefer to fight rather than discuss or negotiate. In this sense, some governments share the same immaturity as terrorists.

The terrorism referenced by Mr. Annan shows that many disputes and injuries have gone un-addressed for a long time. So long, perhaps, that the original injury has been forgotten and that what we see now is an addiction to vengeance – a type of trance - and we call it terrorism. But terrorism is only the surface manifestation of this trance addiction to vengeance. The trance model says that controlling any addiction only works to a limited extent if the causes are not recognized and controlled.

If the world truly wishes freedom, justice and peace, it must address the causes of terrorism in order to restore dignity and equality of rights with all members of the human family.

The UN Charter secondly proclaims:

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

If terrorism has outraged the conscience of mankind, it means that a cause of terrorism (barbarous acts) is the disregard and contempt for human rights of those members of the human family we call terrorists. Although the highest aspiration of the common people are their enjoyment of freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want, an implied cause of terrorism is precisely that these aspirations have been frustrated, blocked and destroyed, alienating human dignity and those rights which should be inalienable.

The barbarous acts occur whenever there is disregard and contempt for human rights. When any entity – the UN, the member States, the terrorists, corporate entities and human individuals – have disregard and contempt for human rights, barbarous acts in the form of State-sponsored, corporate-sponsored, or political group sponsored or individually motivated terrorism will occur. The United Nation Charter spells it out for us in the third paragraph:

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Human rights are not being protected equally and equitably for many parts of the human family, so is it any wonder that terrorism exists? A terrorist is compelled to have recourse to rebellion in this case, so it is stated in the UN Charter! An astounding conclusion of a reading of the UN Charter is that by the rule of law, the member States and the UN must protect the human rights of terrorists and that will eliminate terrorism in the world.

The wholesale spreading of fear does not work for terrorists, nor does it work for governments. It should be clear from Israel’s recent adventure with Hizbollah in Lebanon that “Shock and Awe” type of anti-terrorist methods (wholesale killing of terrorists and civilians) does not work; an earlier failed example of “Shock and Awe” is the United States adventure with Iraq. Protecting the human rights of terrorists is consistent with the Charter of the UN, not intuitively obvious, but certainly the counter examples of Israel and the United States suggest it could be a logical next step in the fight against terrorism.

Each, every, any and all actions against terrorism which does not address the fundamental cause, will fail, and will likely produce more terrorism. If a baby screams for milk, what compassionate human being worthy of the term would commit violence in order to control the baby’s screams? Giving milk addresses the need and will work the best.

Terrorism from whatever source is a scream for help. But who addresses the causes? Which wise man in the UN has the insight and courage to seriously inquire as to causes and un-addressed needs? Until the causes and needs of the human family are addressed, terrorism will continue. It cannot be successfully suppressed because it is a natural reaction against tyranny and oppression. The Israel-Palestine conflict has continued for many decades - a typical addiction to vengeance with compulsions, delusions, and denial. The IRA-British conflict ended when mutual needs were seriously addressed.

If the UN and member States, corporations, organizations and individuals are truly committed to the peaceful settlement of disputes, they must honestly listen to and understand that terrorism is a scream for help and they must stop supporting the cycle of vengeance which feeds the causes of human suffering and – in the end - perpetuates terrorism.

How can the knowledge of trance and the trance model help make terrorism a thing of the past? The characteristics of denial, delusion, obsession and compulsion are indicators of a pathological addictive trance and it is these characteristics which suggest a study of the roots of terrorism as a trance could be helpful to end the addiction of vengeance. Yet, a superficial survey of terrorism and trance suggests three initial areas for future study:

First, recognize that the basis of fear is ignorance. Fear promotes a trance in which one become suggestible. When you are suggestible, you don’t exercise critical judgment. When people are afraid, they create delusions. Delusions, fear and lack of critical judgment are no basis for peace. So, the first thing to do, is to eliminate fear with knowledge: by becoming personally familiar with the people who are Profoundly Dissatisfied – the terrorists as well as the State actors who are reacting against them.

Second, no matter what anyone has done in the past, or is planning to do, open channels of honest communication and allow those who are Profoundly Dissatisfied to express their needs in a way they can become satisfied. Communication re-enables critical judgment which is lost during trance. It will re-enable short term memory as well and help dispel delusions created by trance.

Third, bring down all fences or walls which divide us or which create suspicion and mistrust; build trust and friendships by discussion, cooperation; create joint projects in which smaller conflicts are looked upon as opportunities to practice a process of humanity, grieving, and life. Building a history of mutual aid, mutual education, shared local problem-solving groups and joint celebrations brings people together in sustainable and constructive ways.

Such changes are the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in a world in which terrorism is no longer viable.

There are many resources in the world for ending conflict and promoting a peaceful world. Part of accessing these resources is to become open to more possibilities of ways to resolve the conflicts. Trance theory offers an important theoretical, analytical, and practical tool which we believe to be critical for resolving these conflicts in a peaceful and timely manner, in keeping with the mission of the United Nations.

Trance Research Foundation, Inc.
The Trance Institute
Laytonville, CA 95454-0084
Dennis R. Wier, Executive Director