is "The Body Keeps the Score" misleading, or even flat out disproven? I think this is an extremely important topic. So many people's ideas about trauma rest on the writings of Peter Levine and Bessel van der Kolk (The Body Keeps the Score author)—but what if they just don't hold up to scrutiny, and the "science" they reference doesn't exist or is misinterpretted? This substack article is provacative, but I like it because it's someone who might be coded "left" or "hippie" by a bunch of other beliefs.. Admittedly, I skimmed, and I got recommended it because i have my own views about the trauma mindset's shadows, but would be super curious people's thoughts.
here are some juicy tidbits:
much of this science is uncertain at best, and in some cases was discredited decades ago.
polyvagal theory, which van der Kolk heavily references, has been disproven. Paul Grossman, from Universitätsspital Basel in Switzerland, writes in this paper that the basic premises of polyvagal theory “have been shown to be either untenable or highly implausible based on the available scientific literature.”
I wish we talked more about the legions of people walking around who have trauma histories who have managed to lead healthy, happy lives. In my first few years as a therapist, I noticed that contrary to the trauma narratives we see reflected in pop culture, people who have traumatic experiences are often not irrevocably damaged by it, but instead use internal and external resources to overcome it. They form healthy relationships, have meaningful careers, and raise loving families. These trauma survivors are not unicorns.
and
Part two debunked Peter Levine’s claims that trauma is stored in your body and needs to be released.
"Levine makes claims that are not supported by research and makes promises he cannot keep. He has contributed to fears that everyone has the residue of trauma lurking in their bodies by broadening the definition of trauma until it applies to any stressful experience. By exaggerating the degree to which traumatic memories are repressed, Levine (along with van der Kolk) has promoted the widespread fear that hidden trauma is causing somatic symptoms, even for those who have no memories of unpleasant experiences.
looks like I've been wrong and spreading misinformation about the disproven "triune brain theory".
The final—and most important—problem with this mistaken view is the implication that anatomical evolution proceeds in the same fashion as geological strata, with new layers added over existing ones. Instead, much evolutionary change consists of transforming existing parts.
- From https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0963721420917687#con1
I have definitely made this mistake, many many times.
I'm not sure yet the implications of recognizing instead that "all vertebrates possess the same basic brain regions, here divided into the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain;" in some ways it seems like a nuance, but in other ways I think it'll shift how I see things and talk about things.
more quotes in case you don't read the article:
neural and anatomical complexity evolved repeatedly within many independent lineages
the correct view of evolution is that animals radiated from common ancestors (Fig. 1c). Within these radiations, complex nervous systems and sophisticated cognitive abilities evolved independently many times. For example, cephalopod mollusks, such as octopus and cuttlefish, possess tremendously complex nervous systems and behavior (Mather & Kuba, 2013), and the same is true of some insects and other arthropods (Barron & Klein, 2016; Strausfeld, Hansen, Li, Gomez, & Ito, 1998). Even among nonmammalian vertebrates, brain complexity has increased independently several times, particularly among some sharks, teleost fishes, and birds (Striedter, 1998).
The idea that larger brains can be equated with increased behavioral complexity is highly debatable (Chittka & Niven, 2009).
What’s up with the massive rise in popularity of cold plunge and sauna? #quicktakes
What’s up with the massive rise in popularity of cold plunge and sauna? #quicktakes
Embodiment . My first post here so might as well be about embodiment, as this is what I'm most known for I guess!
What's your embodied practice currently?
For me it's combination of breathwork, sea-swimming, yoga and weight lifting.
What helps you wake up? Question, friends. I have been struggling with some intense tiredness in the mornings. It's like my body has become a teenager and thinks I should sleep until noon each day - but mornings are my favorite time!
Have you ever dealt with morning grogginess? What caused it? What do you do to get yourself going?
Health trackers are nanotech now that can live in your bloodstream and give instant data on stress levels, your body’s response to what you just ate, whether your brain is getting enough glucose for the presentation you’re about to give, etc. The data is analyzed by medical AI, and the accuracy of diagnoses skyrockets. This tech revolutionizes preventative care, replacing mammograms, colonoscopies, blood draws, etc, and there are specialized bots that can pinpoint chemo and/or radiation to cancer cells only, leaving the rest of the body healthy.
There’s a cultural norm not to obsess over the minute details the tech gives, but to first sense into yourself and then occasionally check the data to help tune your sensory compass.
Doctors and medical professionals give the highly personalized aspects that technology can’t handle, like hugs, healing touch, and empathy.
Bed mattresses have a sub-structure that can analyze the position of your body, spine, muscles, and fascia, and make micro adjustments to your body throughout the night- straightening your spine, putting you in subtle positions that slowly release your muscles and fascia throughout the night, giving pulses that improve bloodflow, etc.
#FutureYouLove
What are your secret internal moves, your cues? I'm eternally curious about how we navigate our worlds, and the tricks, jumps, hops, and skips we use.
Sports coaches have cues for all kinds of things. "Follow through" in golf, tennis, and throwing generally. "Chest up, hips back, knees out" for a back squat. "Light feet" or "quick feet" for agility training.
These cues aren't attempting to be accurate descriptions of the world from a physics point of view. They're an attitude/orientation that helps a human do a thing a little better.
My contention: we each are an entire compendium of little skill orientations that we use all the time. But because they're second nature and interior, they're funcionally invisible and don't often get shared or talked about.
Wouldn't it be neat if we talked about them?
Some examples from me:
So what are your cues? Nothing is too simple, silly, or obvious.