psychological defenses

Donald Trump has always relied on primitive psychological defenses, including denial of reality, as in his long history of inventing "alternative facts" and fake news.

When viewers laugh, cry, fall in love or simply become entranced by an actor of Hurt’s gifts, it’s because he’s been able to do whatever was necessary to strip away his psychological defenses, access his most vulnerable emotional interior, dredge up the multitudes he contains.

Unconscious psychological defenses, too, can contribute to our altered sense of time.

Ms. Tunney, who has worked with the mentally ill, specializing in anger management, noted that as the years advance, our psychological defenses erode.

She cuts through phony layers of small talk and penetrates everyone's psychological defenses, Lily's included.