The authors of the article attempted to reveal the main features, indicators and indicators that are necessary for understanding the phenomenon of trauma. Trauma is a wound of consciousness obtained in the course of an emotional shock that disturbs the comprehension of time, self and the world in a person and in society. This phenomenon is of great interest in connection with the need to understand radical social changes that have a traumatic impact on the economic, social, cultural, political processes in modern states. The socio-political sciences initiated the study of the phenomenon of trauma at the end of the 20th century.