dissociation

Etymology

Borrowed from French dissociation, from Latin dissociātiō.

noun

1. The act of dissociating or disuniting; a state of separation; disunion.
2. (chemistry) The process by which a compound body breaks up into simpler constituents; said particularly of the action of heat on gaseous or volatile substances.
   the dissociation of the sulphur molecules
   the dissociation of ammonium chloride into hydrochloric acid and ammonia
3. (psychology) A defence mechanism where certain thoughts or mental processes are compartmentalised in order to avoid emotional stress to the conscious mind.
   Project MONARCH could be best described as a form of structured dissociation and occultic integration, carried out in order to compartmentalize the mind into multiple personalities within a systematic framework. 1999, Joan d'Arc, Al Hidell, The Conspiracy Reader: From the Deaths of JFK and John Lennon to Government-Sponsored Alien Cover-Ups
4. (psychology) Feeling of detachment from reality