22. Healing Memories
Is a memory just a movie in our heads, or, is it more than that? Memories are a record of our full lived experience, but it is not a perfect recording of the past. This episode explores what memory is and how to change our relationship with the present by renegotiating our records of the past.
Video Version
Audio Version
Timestamps
2:30 - John 14:26
7:30 - External & Internal Senses
11:00 - Explicit & Implicit Memory
15:30 - Epigenetic Memory
16:30 - The Evolutionary Purpose of Memory
18:00 - Trauma and Memory
24:00 - Renegotiating Memory
26:00 - Re-Traumatization
29:00 - Finding Safety
33:00 - Praying with Memories
Notes
FIND A PRACTITIONER
Somatic Experiencing Practitioner - https://directory.traumahealing.org/
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute -https://account.sensorimotorpsychotherapy.org/directory.html
US Association for Body Psychotherapy - https://usabp.org/Find-a-Therapist
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
John 14: 26 - “The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that [I] told you.” https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/14
The Hebrew word for “male” is word זכר (zakar) which also means “to remember” or to consciously review - https://biblehub.com/hebrew/2145.htm and https://biblehub.com/hebrew/2142.htm
Anamnesis (from the Greek word ἀνάμνησις meaning "reminiscence")
In Platonism -> pre-existence of the soul, recalling the forms - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anamnesis_%28philosophy%29
At the Mass - Anamnesis - in Eucharistic prayer, but after consecration Making present - https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/dictionary/index.cfm?id=31792
For an introduction to the external and internal senses see “The Powers of the Soul” by Aquinas 101 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2_t7nW6MZQ
Explicit and Implicit Memory - https://www.verywellmind.com/implicit-and-explicit-memory-2795346
Epigenetics - Physically Spiritual 11 | “Every Cell Remembers” - https://www.becominggift.com/post/every-cell
For an entertaining and interesting introduction to the inaccuracy of memory see Revisionist History Season 4 - http://revisionisthistory.com/episodes/24-free-brian-williams
For an introduction on how trauma affects memory see https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/beastly-behavior/201605/trauma-ptsd-and-memory-distortion
and for a full treatment of the subjecy see Peter A. Levine Ph.D., Trauma and Memory: Brain and Body in a Search for the Living Past: A Practical Guide for Understanding and Working with Traumatic Memory, October 27, 2015. - https://www.amazon.com/Trauma-Memory-Practical-Understanding-Traumatic/dp/1583949941
The results of the 9/11 Flashbulb Study are more nuanced than I recounted in the episode. After one year 63% of respondents were accurate about details and only 40% accurately recalled their emotions. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/911-memory-accuracy/
Somatic Experiencing - https://traumahealing.org/about-us/
Renegotiation of Memory
Practice Presence - Build a habit of safety
Self honesty - Don’t push yourself - less is more
Titration - little bit by little bit
Approach the memory, find safety holding the memory
Work with a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner
PREVIOUS EPISODES REFERENCED
The Science of Safety - Physically Spiritual 12 | “The Tiger in Your Inbox” - https://www.becominggift.com/post/every-cell
How to Find Safety - Physically Spiritual 20 | “God’s Presence and Your Body” - https://www.becominggift.com/post/gods-presence
For an introduction to the basic science of safety and practices for finding safety see Rebekkah LaDyne MS SEP, The Mind-Body Stress Reset: Somatic Practices to Reduce Overwhelm and Increase Well-Being, March 1, 2020 - https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Body-Stress-Reset-Practices-Well-Being/dp/1684034272
Read more about Becoming Gift at https://www.becominggift.com/post/becoming-gift
Get support applying the ideas from this podcast at https://www.becominggift.com/coach
