Distorted Chain

Distorted Chain — a cause-and-effect sequence that has been bent around survival, protection, or inherited interpretation, so it no longer moves in clean alignment with reality.

A distorted chain still “works,” but it doesn’t move coherently. Cause and effect are filtered through old stories, trauma, fear, and approval loops. The person experiences real consequences, but those consequences reflect the bent architecture, not the present moment. Distorted chains feel familiar, necessary, or even moral from the inside, which is why they are so difficult to question.

In Integration, a distorted chain is not a sign of failure or brokenness — it’s a map. It shows exactly where awareness is missing and where replacement is needed. You don’t fix a distorted chain by correcting behaviour; you replace the architecture that keeps producing the same loop.

A distorted chain is reality seen through yesterday’s injuries.