Podcast Summary
Emotions bridge the gap between physical and spiritual realms: Emotions are vital for mammalian survival, providing necessary responses and serving as a critical link to social connection through the limbic system and emotional regulation.
Emotions act as a bridge between the physical and spiritual realms of our being, serving as a critical link to our survival and social connection. The limbic system, the emotional center of the brain, acts as a border between the neocortex and brainstem, processing all inputs and filtering for survival, safety, and expectations. Emotions are essential for mammalian survival, providing necessary responses to boundary violations, care, sadness, and more. Emotional regulation plays a role in maintaining homeostasis, as the constant communication pathways of emotions extend beyond the brain into the body, with the gut brain also housing neurons, receptors, and peptides found in the brain. Overall, emotions are a vital aspect of our existence, bridging the gap between our physical and emotional worlds and playing a crucial role in our survival and social connection.
Emotions and feelings interconnected for self and homeostasis: Suppressing emotions or becoming dysregulated disrupts homeostasis, leading to physical symptoms. Emotions and feelings are interconnected, and processing emotions allows for maintaining overall well-being.
Emotional regulation and homeostasis are interconnected. Emotions, which involve chemical reactions and interactions with others, lead to feelings that can deeply impact our sense of self. When we suppress emotions or become dysregulated, it disrupts homeostasis and can lead to physical symptoms. Emotions and feelings are not separate entities, but rather different aspects of our emotional experience. Emotions are the activation of limbic and neurotransmitters, while feelings are our deeper connection to our sense of self and spiritual existence. When our feelings are wounded, it can feel like a deeper hurt that lasts beyond the emotional ups and downs. Therefore, the ability to process emotions and allow our bodies to express them is crucial for maintaining homeostasis and overall well-being.
Understanding the Impact of Trauma on Identity and Emotional System: Trauma can fragment the self, create a hyper-vigilant emotional system, and alter predictive mechanisms, requiring a complex and ongoing process of healing and reshaping behavioral patterns and perceptions.
Our sense of identity and ego are deeply rooted parts of ourselves that deserve protection and love. Trauma, especially complex trauma, can fragment the self and lead to a hyper-vigilant, protective emotional system. This can create a perception of the world as unsafe and difficult to trust, and may result in behaviors that perpetuate harm. The development of the emotional system can be significantly impacted by early childhood trauma or an unsafe environment, leading to a predisposition to see the world through a lens of danger and threat. Healing from trauma involves not only addressing the initial trauma but also reshaping and retraining behavioral patterns and perceptions. This is a complex and ongoing process, and requires a conscious, safe, and progressive approach. Our brains create their own realities based on predictions and past experiences, and trauma can drastically alter these predictive mechanisms. It's important to recognize that healing is not an instant process, but rather a journey of growth and resilience.
Impact of Trauma on Emotional Development: Trauma survivors often suppress emotions as a survival mechanism, leading to difficulty identifying and expressing emotions, especially anger. Healing involves recognizing, understanding, and expressing emotions in a safe environment.
Growing up in unsafe environments with trauma can significantly impact our emotional development and ability to express emotions healthily. Trauma survivors often suppress emotions as a survival mechanism, leading to hypervigilance and difficulty identifying and expressing emotions, especially anger. This emotional suppression can create deep-rooted patterns that continue throughout one's life. The need to suppress emotions can stem from the fear of abandonment, punishment, or further harm. It's essential to recognize that suppressing emotions is not always a conscious choice but an emotional response to past experiences. Healing from trauma involves understanding and expressing these emotions in a safe and secure environment. The process of identifying, expressing, and regulating emotions takes time, effort, and support.
Understanding the Unique Nature of Emotions: Recognizing the personal and unique nature of emotions, and respecting each other's emotional experiences, can lead to long-term changes in brain function and behavior.
Our emotional experiences and realities are unique and personal, and they deserve respect and honor. When we're in emotionally charged moments, our brain may prioritize survival over expression, leading us to bury our feelings. But as we learn to express and process these emotions, it can lead to long-term changes in brain perception and behavior. These changes can affect the production of various neurotransmitters and hormones, and shift how our brain functions. It's important to remember that everyone has their own set point of normal, and what feels normal to one person may not to another. Emotions and pain are personal sensations that can't be fully shared or understood by others. Therefore, it's crucial to acknowledge and respect each other's emotional experiences as legitimate and real.
Emotions are stored in the nervous system as proteins, not in body tissues: Emotions are stored as neural proteins in the brain, not as physical residue in body tissues
Emotions are not stored in the body's tissue as a physical residue, but rather in the nervous system as proteins that can activate neural pathways when recalled as memories. The use of metaphors, such as "emotions are stored in the hips" or "emotions are stored in the fascial layer," can be misleading. The nervous system and tissue are interconnected, and memory, which is what is truly being stored, is a neural function. When we recall a memory, we are activating a protein in the brain that triggers a neural pathway, bringing the components of the memory back to our consciousness. This can include sensory experiences and emotions, which can be positive or negative. Therefore, when we speak of "trauma stored in the tissues," we are really referring to the memory of the traumatic experience being stored in the nervous system.
Impact of Trauma on Mitochondrial Function: Trauma can affect mitochondrial function, leading to decreased energy production and impaired detoxification. Healing trauma may bring areas back to life with improved blood flow, neural activity, and metabolic function.
Trauma and emotional experiences can impact our body's mitochondrial function, leading to decreased energy production and impaired detoxification. This research suggests that when we work to heal and release trauma through therapy, movement, or other methods, we may not be releasing the trauma itself, but rather bringing areas of the body back to optimal function and connectivity, allowing them to come "back to life" with increased blood flow, neural activity, and metabolic function. The connection between water, memory, and mitochondrial function adds another layer to our understanding of the body's healing process, highlighting the importance of addressing both emotional and physical aspects of trauma.
Water's role in body's electrical conductivity: Water conducts electrical signals in the body, potentially storing memories and trauma in tissue, leading to healing releases in specific body areas.
Water plays a crucial role in the body's electrical conductivity, allowing signals to travel through tissues via conductive water pathways. This means that memories and trauma may be stored in the body's tissue rather than just in the nervous system. The body's responses to healing and releasing trauma, such as emotional releases and physical sensations, may be linked to this conductivity and the body's attempts to regulate itself. The areas where these releases occur are often associated with protective reflexes, and the connection between water and memory may explain why certain body areas are associated with specific emotions or traumas. While the exact mechanism is not yet fully understood, the possibilities are intriguing and open up new ways of thinking about the relationship between body, mind, and memory.
The lasting impact of past traumas on our memories and experiences: Past traumas can deeply affect our somatic and emotional memories, creating barriers to joy and vulnerability in the present. Healing involves releasing these traumas and rebuilding a positive sense of self.
Our memories, both somatic and emotional, can be deeply connected to past traumas and hold us back from fully experiencing joy and vulnerability in the present. Elizabeth's discussion of her own somatic memories of childhood trauma resonates with the idea that traumatic experiences can leave a lasting impact on the body. Similarly, on the emotional side, past traumas can create barriers to trust and vulnerability in relationships. The work of healing involves not only releasing these traumas but also rebuilding a positive sense of self around the affected areas. This process can be challenging as the nervous system may respond with fear and self-sabotage when faced with new experiences of joy and connection. Understanding this connection between past traumas and present experiences can help us approach healing with compassion and patience.
Healing past experiences for trust in relationships: To build trust, heal past experiences, practice self-care, regulate emotions, and release trauma. Rebuild belief, practice self-protection, set boundaries, speak truth, and honor needs.
Our past experiences shape our perception and behavior in relationships, and healing is necessary to change our responses. Trust is a deep-rooted belief that takes time and effort to rebuild. The brain tends to look for evidence of danger, even in safe relationships. To prepare the brain for new outcomes, self-care and regulation are crucial. Healing the nervous system and releasing trauma are essential steps to building trust within oneself and with others. By practicing self-protection, setting boundaries, speaking truth, and honoring needs, one can restore the foundation of trust and move beyond patterns of distrust. The use of neuro tools and self-care habits can help make these new behaviors possible and lead to healthier relationships.
Understanding the Nervous System for Emotional Health: Recognizing nervous system triggers and practicing self-care and mindfulness can help manage emotional and mental health, leading to healthier relationships and interactions with others.
Self-awareness and regulation of the nervous system are crucial for managing emotional and mental health. The speaker shares her personal experience of dealing with triggers and overstimulation, and the importance of recognizing these moments to prevent unhealthy responses. She emphasizes the need for mental and emotional preparation, as well as the use of tools like self-care and mindfulness to regulate and re-engage when necessary. The awareness of one's nervous system and its needs is key to maintaining healthy relationships and interactions with others. The speaker also highlights the importance of trusting and loving oneself, and being the safe and loving space for emotional growth and connection to occur. Overall, the conversation underscores the importance of self-awareness and self-regulation in managing emotional and mental health, and the impact it can have on our interactions with others.
Transform your responses with emotional regulation: Practicing emotional regulation techniques can significantly change how we respond to situations and relationships, allowing for greater presence and connection.
Practicing emotional regulation techniques can significantly transform the way we respond to challenging situations and relationships. By taking a step back to regulate our emotions through methods like breathing drills, gentle stimulus, and self-care, we can change our perception of reality and show up as the partner or person we want to be. This practice allows for greater presence and connection, fulfilling a basic human need. Emotional regulation has been a game-changer for the speaker, enabling them to better connect with themselves and others. It's an essential skill for anyone seeking to explore plant medicine or deepen their personal growth journey. Remember, the more we practice these techniques, the easier it becomes. So, don't hesitate to reach out for support if needed, and always remember the power of self-care and emotional regulation.