PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF TIME PERSPECTIVE TRANSFORMATION IN PERSONALITY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF EXTREME EVENTS

Abstract

The article presents a theoretical analysis and systematization of the psychological mechanisms underlying the transformation of an individual's time perspective under the influence of extreme events, particularly prolonged war-related traumatization. The relevance of the study is determined by the accumultaion of significant empirical data on the psychological consequences of war, alongside an insufficient theoretical conceptualization of the internal mechanisms driving temporal reorganization of consciousness, especially in conditions of chronic, continuous combat stress experienced by Ukrainian society since 2022.

Based on a comprehensive analysis of domestic and foreign scientific literature, four interrelated blocks of psychological mechanisms have been identified. The first block encompasses disintegration mechanisms, including intrusive fixation on the traumatic past, temporal narrowing and fragmentation of time perspective, and desynchronization of past, present, and future dimensions, triggered by the destruction of basic beliefs in the benevolence and predictability of the world, as well as moral injury related to betrayal. The second block comprises compensatory-protective mechanisms, namely hypertrophy of the present-hedonistic orientation, activation of the present-fatalistic orientation, and avoidance or devaluation of future perspective. The third block includes reconstructive-integrative mechanisms: narrative reintegration of traumatic experience, reconstruction and expansion of future perspectives, formation of an «extended presen», and development of temporal flexibility. The fourth block covers moderating resource factors, among which psychological resilience and temporal flexibility as a personality trait play a central role.

Particular attention is paid to the specificity of time perspective transformation under conditions of prolonged, uninterrupted war traumatization, which generates a unique phenomenon of a «permanent present», in which the classical model of a single traumatic event with a clear «before/after» boundary proves insufficient to describe the actual psychological experience of the affected population. The proposed theoretical model can serve as a foundation for developing differentiated psychological rehabilitation programs for military personnel, veterans, internally displaced persons, and other categories of the population affected by extreme events.