An aloof observer or an active participant? Reality-based or fantasy-based? Some folks take turns attaching/detaching. What causes it?

They're on solid ground then they go off into outer space into some gawdawful ugly place
They on/off or up/down or in/out or shy/arrogant or nice/awful.

So what flips the switch and what does the flipping do to the health of the flipper?