Excitation that exceeds the subject’s or the system’s ability to master it or to discharge it. In accordance with the economic viewpoint, the psyche has a finite capacity for tension. When that capacity is exceeded, the psyche feels pain (anxiety), and the excessive stimulation constitutes a trauma. Eventually, anxiety becomes a signal that danger is approaching, and defenses against being overwhelmed are brought forth. The adult is able to master more stimulation than the child, but even the mature psyche cannot cope with an unlimited amount of increasing or repeated overstimulation.