Changes in the structure of consciousness in the process of emotional self-regulation during war

Abstract

The article was devoted to a study of the changing structure of consciousness in the context of war, when the usual mechanisms of perception, evaluation and experience no longer work as they used to. In a situation of constant stress, loss and uncertainty, a person faces the need to maintain internal order. In such moments, new forms of internal organisation of experience are discovered that have not yet been described sufficiently. The article focuses on specific ways in which emotions are self-regulated: inwardly directed speech, imagery that creates a sense of stability, bodily practices that allow one to stay in the present, and moral reflection that prevents one from losing oneself. The article considers these mechanisms not as something secondary, but as the basis of a new structure of consciousness that is emerging in the context of war experience. The changes that occur are not just a response to trauma. They reflect the ability of the psyche to create space for action, reflection, and co-presence even in a situation of loss. Through these forms of internal movement, consciousness not only adapts, but also gradually forms a new wholeness based on experience that is lived rather than ignored. These shifts do not happen overnight. The consciousness gradually rethinks its own supports: more attention is paid to the inner word, memories, breathing, movement, simple repetitive actions that form a rhythm. What previously seemed to be a neutral background of mental life begins to play a central role in maintaining balance. All of this is not to describe change, but rather to see how a new dynamic of inner life is formed in the experience of war. It does not deny the existence of pain or loss, does not restore what was before, but opens up the possibility of being – with what is and in what is. The consciousness does not return to a stable state, but builds another way to stay in a reality that will no longer be the same. This internal movement is not only about preserving but also about creating something new. The space of consciousness in the conditions of war turns out to be capable of not just reacting, but changing the logic of presence: through attention to the simple, through comprehension of even the painful, through coming closer to oneself in what cannot always be explained. And it is in this closeness to one’s own experience that the ability not to lose touch with humanity is born.