Trauma and Memory - Brain & Body in a Search for the Living Past - Peter Levine

I recently ordered this book (again, thanks for the heads up Approaching Infinity! :)) and it's a very interesting read.

One I would thoroughly recommend!

I was curious when reading "In an Unspoken Voice" what exactly was going on in the therapy sessions and in this book as well as being a great follow on, you get an in depth view of numerous case studies and the techniques he uses.

(My earliest memory is being in a confined space and not being able to get out. I was haunted by nightmares as far back as I can recall and can clearly remember what would be described as being slowly crushed in the hand of a giant gorilla When working through the traumatic episodes of my life and how they could still have a firm grip on me, I broached this subject with my Mum and the possibilities of this particular episode being perhaps related to my birth... there were complications!)

From Chapter 7 - The veracity Trap and the Pitfall of False Memory -

And yet, in therapy, whether the memories are true or not shouldn't be the primary concern. What is critical to recognize is that the client is stuck in an engram imprinted on brain and body- a procedural and emotional memory that is dominating their affect, mood and behaviours. So in either case, whether the attribution is actual or misconstrued, we must understand that the impact and meanings of their experiences hold truth and value. We are obliged, as therapists and healers, to help our clients liberate the vast survival energy that is bound in their nervous system - regardless of the specifics of the trauma - so that they can expand into greater freedom and peaceful grace.

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If you found Peter Levine's books have worked for you in some way, then grab a copy of this. His style of writing and the topic he discusses are "just what the doctor ordered" ;D

The back cover reads;

Dr Peter Levine introduced the world to his pioneering approach to trauma therapy, the Somatic Experiencing method, in Waking the Tiger and In an Unspoken Voice. Now, with Trauma and Memory, he takes the next step step in his work as a scientist, story teller, and master clinician, tackling one of the most difficult and complex questions of trauma therapy: Can we trust our memories? While trauma therapy work frequently addresses "explicit" memories, less attention has been paid to how the body itself stores "implicit" memory, and how much of what we think of as "memory actually comes to us through our interoceptive bodily sense. By learning how to better understand this complex interplay of past and present, brain and body, we can adjust our relationship to past trauma and move into a more balanced, relaxed state of being and wholeness. Written for mental health care practitioners as well as trauma sufferers, Trauma and Memory is a groundbreaking look at how memory is constructed and how influential memories are on our present lives.

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Dr. Peter Levine in this video explain two simple techniques that can help trauma patients feel safe. I really like his approach in Waking the Tiger because he putting focus on body sensation related to the trauma, much more than traditional approach dealing with trauma through bringing back memories of trauma. And memories could be false but sensations, probably, 'don't lie'.


And some of my favourite quotes from book:

In a recent study of more than one thousand men and women, it was found that forty percent had gone through a traumatic event in the past three years. Most often cited were: being raped or physically assaulted; being in a serious accident; witnessing someone else being killed or injured. As many as thirty percent of the homeless people in this country are thought to be Vietnam veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress. Somewhere between seventy-five and one hundred million Americans have experienced childhood sexual and physical abuse. The conservative AMA estimates that over thirty percent of all married women, as well as thirty percent of pregnant women, have been beaten by their spouses. One woman is beaten by her husband or lover every nine seconds (the beatings of pregnant women are also traumatic to the fetus).

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Because the symptoms and emotions associated with trauma can be extreme, most of us (and those close to us) will recoil and attempt to repress these intense reactions. Unfortunately, this mutual denial can prevent us from healing. In our culture there is a lack of tolerance for the emotional vulnerability that traumatized people experience. Little time is allotted for the working through of emotional events. We are routinely pressured into adjusting too quickly in the aftermath of an overwhelming situation.

Denial is so common in our culture that it has become a cliche. How often have you heard these words? "Pull yourself together, its over now. You should forget about it. Grin and bear it. It's time to get on with your life."

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As we begin the healing process we use what is known as the "felt sense," or internal body sensations. These sensations serve as a portal through which we find the symptoms, or reflections of trauma. In directing our attention to these internal body sensations, rather than attacking the trauma head-on, we can unbind and free the energies that have been held in check.

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And he conclude with very nice thought:

Nations living near each other can break the generational cycle of destruction, violence, and repeated trauma that holds them hostage. By using the human organism's capacity to register peaceful aliveness, even in the web of traumatic defensiveness, we can all begin to make our communities safe for ourselves and our children. Once we establish safe communities, we can begin the process of healing ourselves and our world.

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