In my study of self-love as a healing tool for trauma, I came across some amazing scientific jargon about how guided imagery can be used for healing. As I read and tried to interpret this information for my non-psychologist brain, I found it incredibly fascinating and needed to share with you!
So our left brain is the thinking, rational, logical, judging, analytical and deciding side. And our right brain is where all the feeling, sensing and perceiving happens. When we have faced a traumatic event, it imprints on the subconscious level. The traumatized brain then loses the ability to focus on language or think in an abstract way. Instead, it is on the constant lookout for signs of danger from others, this could be a tone of voice, facial expressions or body movements. The brain is impaired and cannot think on a higher level, it seems to be stuck on primitive brain mode because this is what keeps a human surviving. So in short, people of any age that have experienced a high amount of trauma are not able to process information at a higher level of thinking because they are on constant high alert status to make sure they stay safe.
When a person who has experienced high amounts of trauma goes for help or looks for support, often they will be asked about what happened and be expected to talk through their story. But as we just learned, language is hard to process and listening to a rational, logical perspective may be out of the brain’s functioning power and worse of all, it can actually retraumatize that person all over again. This is where visualization, guided imagery and using the imagination comes in.
When you can visualize or imagine a situation, you are completely in control of what happens. You get to choose how the situation plays out. So while you are imagining something wonderful as the outcome of what once was a traumatic event, your imagination is bypassing the language, logical, judgy left side of the brain and speaking directly to the emotional right side of the brain. It, therefore, is passing any doubt, fear, hopelessness and resistance to healing.
With visualization and imagination, a person can attach meaning to and fully process any feelings, body sensations and images that surround a traumatic event. Using a calm tone of voice and relaxing music can help quiet the ever-watchful primitive brain and allow healing to happen for the rest of the brain. This person can imagine any situation being released in the wind or water without having to relive what happened. Further assistance can come from guardian angels, ancestors, spirit guides or beloved pets. Anyone that that person would like to be part of their healing journey, they can invite in to become part of their team of powerful protectors.
This is the amazing power of the imagination in healing from trauma.
This information and more tools like it can be found in the book “101 Trauma-Informed Interventions” by Linda A. Curran, BCPC, LPC, CACD, CCDP-D. I highly recommend it. I found this information to be so helpful in having understanding and compassion. I can’t say enough how exciting it is to watch psychological science and ancient spiritual practice come together.
Lot’s of Love,
Charissa
