FRACTAL TRAUMA THEORY: MULTILEVEL PATTERNS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL WOUNDS
FRACTAL TRAUMA THEORY: MULTILEVEL PATTERNS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL WOUNDS

Summary/Abstract: Fractal Trauma Theory (FTT) proposes that trauma is not merely an isolated rupture in personal or collective life but a patterned phenomenon that repeats across scales of experience. Drawing on psychoanalysis, cultural trauma studies, and complexity science, FTT identifies three interrelated principles – self-similarity, recursive structure, and systemic interdependence – as central to understanding how trauma persists, replicates, and transforms. The theory illuminates parallels between individual symptoms (such as flashbacks and avoidance) and collective practices (such as silences, memorials, or cycles of violence), suggesting that trauma functions fractally, producing recursive loops across generations, families, and societies. Through theoretical grounding and case studies – including Holocaust memory, postcolonial trauma, and familial abuse cycles – FTT demonstrates how trauma’s “shape” remains recognizable across diverse contexts. By integrating insights from psychology, literary studies, sociology, and complexity theory, FTT offers an interdisciplinary framework that not only maps trauma’s persistence but also highlights potential leverage points for healing.

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