  We deal here with three metastable systems: 1{\textdegree}- the dowser
texture, 2{\textdegree}- supertwistedcholesterics and 3{\textdegree}-
hypotwisted cholesterics. We outline remarkable properties of tropisms of the
dowser texture stemming from its low symmetry and we show that, using setups
called Dowsons Colliders, nematic monopoles can be nucleated, set into motion
and brought into collisions in the dowser texture. Subsequently we point out
that nucleation of dislocation loops occurs in cholesteric layers compressed or
dilated between cylindrical mica sheets. Under compression, three modes of
nucleation of dislocation loops have been identified: individual, serial and
continuous. The serial mode generates dislocation nets made of L circular loops
connected by C radial crossing into superloops. Similar superloops can also be
generated under dilation. We analyse the topology of superloops in terms of the
theory of knots and point out they can be reduced into the unknot by
Reidemeister moves. In other words, superloops are multiply folded loops that
can be continuously unfolded.
