The Chronic: A Defense Mechanism Against the Waking State--P 019 -- 1984 This sensational two-part talk is a reconstruction of an easaphone talk with the Amherst group; it offers the first formulation of the idea contained the title. Part One covers the nature of the defense mechanism, how it maintains the sleeping state of the machine, its origin in childhood, and an introduction to using the chronic as a tool for accessing the waking state.