What causes dissociation and being ‘out of it’?

Question

Whether it’s from drugs, stress or whatever, what is biologically and psychologically happening where the person isn’t super responsive or grounded?

For example, if I’m tired and overworked I’ll sometimes just feel one step behind in a conversation and not fully present. Why is this?

Thanks in advance

In: Biology

Answer 1

Preefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala. If you’ve played bloodborne or understand Eldrich horror, you’ll be familiar with that last one.

I think the hippocampus effecty like…stabilty or that feeling you might get when you can’t walk straight after a lack of sleep. Could be wrong.