Perceiving Danger and Threat: An Anecdote from a Conflict Zone
- creative-therapies
- Oct 2
- 4 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
by Claudio Mochi, MA, RP, RPT-S™
“Why do you do this work?” asked the person sitting next to me. After the usual polite small talk, she suddenly became serious, beginning a conversation I remember vividly. I was in good spirits, as I had been away from home for several months and was finally returning. The passenger was curious about me, she came from a region suffering from a long-standing conflict where few foreigners circulated. Before long, I found myself describing the purpose of the project I was working on. I told her we were supporting children in schools, with the intent of minimizing their perception of danger and threat, and the daily and future impact of conflict on their lives.
Our project involved the opposing side of the conflict relative to my interlocutor. I was well aware that since my activities supported those she perceived as “the enemy,” she would likely view it unfavorably. In conflict zones, even while being neutral and politically uninvolved, one is often required to work with civilians from one faction or the other. Over the years, I had already encountered a range of hostile reactions and threats due to my presumed alignment. Unlike others, however, this woman did not react aggressively to what I said. She simply could not comprehend it.
“You are wasting your time,” she eventually said. After a pause, she added: “Among them reigns total savagery. They have nothing, they have built nothing. Where they live there are no roads, no infrastructure.” She concluded firmly: “They are beasts, and what you are doing is a waste of time.”
She had delicate features, and while she expressed her views, her face and gestures showed no anger or lack of self-control, only composure. What she was saying, for her, was simply fact. Those children, whom no one could truly protect and to whom we tried to give the best possible chance of growing up healthy despite the circumstances, were in her eyes nothing but “little animals unworthy of anything.” Strangely, this revelation did not make me angry or resentful toward her. Perhaps because working in the humanitarian field requires cultivating non-judgment, or perhaps because I realized she spoke without any real knowledge of the “other side.”
I remember my effort to reason with her, using arguments to defend those tiny children and the countless civilians who, in my view, were merely enduring the decisions of others. I did not expect her to change her mind. Naively, I thought my perspective could broaden the conversation. I was younger and less experienced, but I should have known it was impossible.
Constant exposure to danger has an enormous impact on our bodies, including the way we perceive the world and process information.
Human beings are, in many respects, rigid and conservative, and these traits are heightened when we feel threatened. In our exchanges with the world around us, mechanisms often arise that obstruct communication, hinder our understanding of events, prevent us from connecting with others, and limit our growth and potential.
When we feel under attack, we activate protective mode. This is an ancient mechanism that forces us to focus predominantly on the source of danger. From a state of relaxation or mindful alertness, we move into a state of alarm. Following a protocol engraved in our genetic heritage, we prepare to face or flee the threat, unless we deem it overwhelming, in which case we freeze completely.
When we raise our defenses, we increase the likelihood of safeguarding our physical safety, but at the same time, we unknowingly forfeit one of our most advanced capacities: the ability to regulate our emotions and engage in profound emotional connections that not only foster well-being but also help us feel protected and supported.
Our ability to manage and process information is also greatly reduced. In danger, our survival depends on rapid decisions. Despite our evolution, in dangerous situations we regress to the classic predator-prey dynamic: the lion and the gazelle. Any circumstance labeled as threatening is interpreted by the most ancient parts of our brain as a danger to our survival, even when the threat is primarily psychological or emotional.
What we have learned over millennia is that survival depends on fighting or fleeing. There is no space for complex mental operations such as dialogue, reflection, or the study of new strategies. In the face of danger, we are driven to act, or rather, to react. Our perceptual field narrows, and our behavior becomes more automatic.
To safeguard our physical integrity, we sacrifice our greatest asset: intentionality—the capacity to step back, consider the broader picture, and weigh all available options.
Claudio Mochi, MA, RP, RPT-S™ is Director of the University Master’s Program in Play Therapy at the International Academy for Play Therapy (INA), Founder and President of the Association for Play Therapy Italy (APTI). A Psychologist, Psychotherapist, and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor™, he specializes in emergency interventions and disaster mental health, with 25 years of international experience. He has presented on Play Therapy and Trauma across six continents and over 20 countries, and is the author of books, chapters, and numerous articles.
©2025 INA Play Therapy Press. Article n. 3 in the Series: Play is the Future
You’re welcome to share excerpts of this work with proper credit and a link back. Reproduction of the full content without written permission of the author is prohibited. This article was originally published by the online newspaper Radio Bullets on November 15, 2023. Translated by INA Play Therapy Press with permission for the Article Series: Play is the Future. www.radiobullets.com/rubriche/sirene-dallarme-riflessioni-e-percezioni-su-quando-avvertiamo-pericolo
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