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10.17
Deconstructing denial
 
  The word denial has been raised several times in the lead up to this chapter, in particularly the effect of suppression of memory. All of us have experienced this emotional state of refusing to admit what happened at some point in our lives. What is less clear is how denial can lead to sickness and lack of ability of discernment. Further, the danger and nature of denial is rarely discussed, nor understood.  
10.17.1 The definition of denial  
  The word denial comes from the word deny, which was originally formed from two latin words DE (I) + NEGARE (say no/refuse). The most common definitions of the words deny and denial are:  
 
· The act of saying no; refusal of anything asked or desired.
· The asserting (of anything) to be untrue or untenable; contradiction
· To refuse to admit the truth
· The denying of the existence or reality of a thing (1576)
· refusal to acknowledge; a disowning, disavowel (1590)
 
10.17.2 The existence of denial across human society  
  To many readers, the definitions listed here will be no great insight, as it matches what you thought "denial' meant in the first place. After all, denial is one of the most common forms of negative behaviour.  
  As a child, we may have rboken an object, only to deny guilt when questioned about it by some adult authority. Many white lies are attributed to the action of denial- not drinking before returning home from work, not smoking, not lying, not talking behind our back, not responsible.  
  In fact, the United States Military has coined the phrase "plausible denial" as a way of describing the ability to lie effectively so that the public at large accepts the lie as truth. In espionage, denial is essence the act of maintaining a secret- stating one thing to be the case, while knowing the underlying "truth" of the situation.  
10.17.3 The forgotten implication of denial  
  What is however lost when considering the word denial is the little recognized fact that denial as an action can only exist when: (a) a person is firstly aware of what they perceive to be the truth, then (b) creates a counterfeit perception of the truth and professes this to be the truth.  
  For if a person is not aware of the truth in the first instance, their statement of (b) to be true is merely delusion (a different than accurate perception of reality), not denial.  
  Therefore, by implication, for every denial in your life, you hold within your mind "two realities"- one real and one counterfeit.  
10.17.4 The establishment of internal conflict of the mind- truth versus lie  
  Have you ever wondered why human beings find it so hard to keep a secret, why they have such difficulty in maintaining "plausible denial" over extended periods of time? The answer lies in the effect of denial in the creation of memories within the mind of those that deceive through denial, that are opposites- one true and pure, the other a lie and dark, presented as the truth.  
  In the normal course of events, the recording within the mind of one memory and one understanding of events is fairly routine. Over time, the accurate recollection of events gradually fades into a more fragmented view. Our perceptions of events ten years ago, except in exceptional emotional states are difficult to be retained as the mind gradually clears that information that serves no purpose. However, denials, especially strong denials tend to stick around. Why?  
  It is because the two memories remain forever locked in conflict against one another- they remind us otheir existence periodically- they remain fresh and in many cases they can become self-absorbing distractions of thinking of anything else.  
  Worse, the conflict of mind can and often does accelerate psychosymatic illnesses, which can be wide and varied from heart disease to cancer as the result of prolonged, heightened conflict within the body. Like many other negative words, denial is accumulative until resolved.  
  Therefore, throughout history, the saying "the truth shall prevail" is so often proven to be true, even though it may take many years for it to appear. It seems maintaining secrets, no matter how small is bad for your health.  
 
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