EMDR works quickly not because it bypasses meaning—but because it engages the brain at the level where trauma is stored. Traumatic memories are encoded in networks involving the amygdala, hippocampus, and sensory cortices. These networks operate rapidly and automatically, often outside conscious awareness. Insight alone may help us understand trauma, but it does not always reach the neural systems responsible for threat detection. EMDR pairs memory activation with bilateral stimulation, engaging

It’s actually pretty brilliant that we are capable of repressing trauma. Without the ability to do this we would, in situations that are very challenging or even terrible, be completely overwhelmed and probably also less safe. At the same time as there is a benefit to repressing trauma though, there is also a cost. So, every now and then your mind and body will re-present traumatic memories or emotions to you, asking the question ‘Are you/we ready to process this now?’ #trauma #traumatic #memory