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This paper delineates various forms of ‘desparked’ shutdown, such as in learned helplessness, trauma and dissociation, and extreme neglect. It examines how overwhelming experiences are at their root contracting, involving a numbing down and a turning away from life. It suggests that recovery always requires experiencing a new sense of safety and trust, and that from there one can experience a reboot and respark into life. It suggests that while safeness is always central in work with trauma, courage is also necessary, especially to push through defences that might have been outgrown.