A: Yes, I’d say what you’re describing is very typical.
When someone first sees clearly how the false self is maintained, there can be moments of striking clarity. The habits of thought, reflexive defenses, and the identity maintenance that previously ran unnoticed becomes visible. The machinery is exposed, and for a while it can feel almost obvious. Then, just as quickly, the fog returns and the old patterns start running again.
That back-and-forth can feel discouraging, but it’s actually a very normal feature of change. Meaningful change rarely happens in a straight line; it tends to move through periods of instability, fluctuation, and temporary returns to older patterns before new patterns stabilize.
So why does the fog return?