Tag Archives: Peter Levine

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In his book In An Unspoken Voice (p. 135), Peter Levine says:

(Traumatic) memories are encoded not primarily in the neocortex but, instead, in the limbic system and brain stem.  For this reason behaviors and memories cannot be changed by simply changing one's thoughts.  One must also work with sensation and feeling--really with the totality of experience.

Has anyone ever told you to just change the way you think to get out of a difficult emotional time?  We oftentimes need something MORE, something physical to help us.  Chiropractic can help break the cycle of repetitive negative thoughts by changing signals to the brain.

 

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In his book In An Unspoken Voice (p. 135), Peter Levine tells us:

...consciousness actually unfolds through the development of body awareness, of learning to understand the nuances and the meaning of our internal physical sensations, and of our emotional feelings as well.

I completely agree. We are sensory driven organisms.  In other words, our brains develop because of the sensory input that goes to it.  The neurons that are used are strengthened.  The ones that are not degenerate.

 

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Peter Levine, in his book on p. 88 says,

...the time-honored expression, "time heals all wounds," simply does not apply to trauma.  In the short run, the suppression of immobility sensations appears (to our denial-biased mind) to keep the paralysis and helplessness at bay.  However, in time, it becomes apparent that evasive maneuvers are an abject failure.  This "sweeping under the run" not only prolongs the inevitable, it often makes the eventual encounter with immobility even more frightening.... If, ....one is able to utilize the vital assistance of titration and pendulation, one can touch gently and briefly into the deathlike void without coming undone.

Sometimes time isn't enough to heal. Sometimes a person needs a bio-mechanical change to break the cycle of dysfunction in the brain.  That's where chiropractic comes in!

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Dr. Levine describes 'pendulation' in his book, In his book In An Unspoken Voice on p. 79:

"(Pendulation) is the body's natural restorative rhythm of contraction and expansion that tells us that whatever is felt is time-limited...that suffering will not last forever."

He tells us that we can help clients understand that feelings can and will change. If we don't realize this, we feel 'stuck'.  People who experience panic attacks can feel terrified that they were going to be in that state forever. Knowing we can 'go through' the emotion, that it will not last, can be a powerful tool for healing.