Bessel van der Kolk, pioneer in trauma treatment, discusses innovative therapies like neurofeedback, psychedelics, and yoga. He explores trauma's impact on development and memory, advocating for personalized mental health care and the importance of social support in healing. The chapter also touches on the challenges of researching psychedelics for therapeutic purposes.
The impact of trauma on brain wiring can be addressed through innovative treatments like neurofeedback and mindfulness techniques.
EMDR therapy facilitates a shift in perceiving past traumas, leading to profound experiential transformations and new perspectives.
MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD fosters self-compassion, acceptance, and understanding, addressing deep-rooted early life trauma.
Deep dives
Psychedelic Research and Health Benefits
The podcast delves into the potential correlation between trauma and disease, particularly emphasizing the profound impact psychedelic experiences have had on individuals. Examples are shared of terminally ill patients experiencing significant health improvements post-psychedelic encounters, with reports of relief from conditions like IBS and migraines. The discussion highlights the challenges and importance of understanding how these agents affect core brain and body systems to enhance overall well-being, promoting a sense of inner safety rooted in biological mechanisms.
EMDR and Neurological Changes
The episode explores Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, detailing initial skepticism and eventual groundbreaking results. Mentioned is the enhanced connectivity between specific brain regions observed during EMDR sessions, facilitating a shift in perceiving past traumas as distinct from present reality. Personal accounts reflect a profound experiential transformation, likening the process to time travel and gaining new perspectives on past events.
MDMA Therapy for PTSD
A significant focus is placed on MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, emphasizing its unique ability to foster self-compassion and acceptance, fundamentally reshaping individuals' relationships with themselves. The study's primary findings underline that by enabling individuals to find understanding, soothe, and gain perspective on themselves, MDMA contributes to alleviating PTSD symptoms and addressing deep-rooted early life trauma.
Challenges and Future of Psychedelic Research
The podcast delves into the complexities and ethical considerations of conducting psychedelic research, particularly highlighting the intricate process involving control groups, blind assessments, and statistical analyses. The discussion sheds light on the historical stigma and legal barriers surrounding psychedelic investigations, showcasing the perseverance of researchers in navigating these challenges to unlock the potential therapeutic benefits of these substances.
Cultivating Self-Exploration and Mental Health Practices
The conversation transitions to the importance of fostering introspection and self-awareness, advocating for educational initiatives that incorporate self-regulation and emotional intelligence as essential aspects of learning. The episode stresses the significance of creating a culture that values self-understanding and empathetic connection, advocating for practices like yoga to enhance bodily ownership and language-based therapeutic approaches to explore internal experiences.
Bessel A. van der Kolk M.D. is a pioneer clinician, researcher and teacher in the area of posttraumatic stress. His work uniquely integrates developmental, neurobiological, psychodynamic, somatic and interpersonal aspects of the impact of trauma and its treatment. His #1 New York Times Science best seller, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Treatment of Trauma (tr anslated in 38 languages), transforms our understanding of traumatic stress, revealing how it literally rearranges the brain’s wiring — specifically areas dedicated to pleasure, engagement, control, and trust. He shows how these areas can be reactivated thro ugh innovative treatments including neurofeedback, psychedelic therapy, psychodrama, mindfulness techniques, parts work, yoga, and body work. Dr. van der Kolk and his various collaborators have published extensively on the impact of trauma on development, such as dissociative problems, borderline personality and self - mutilation, cognitive development, memory, and the psychobiology of trauma. He has published over 150 peer reviewed scientific articles on such diverse topics as neuroimaging, self - injury, memo ry, neurofeedback, Developmental Trauma, yoga, theater and EMDR. He is founder of the Trauma Center (now the Trauma Research Foundation) in Boston, MA; past President of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Professor of Psychiatry at Bos ton University Medical School and Principal Investigator Boston site of MAPS sponsored MDMA assisted psychotherapy study . He regularly teaches at universities and hospitals around the world. Visit trauma researchfoundation.org and besselvanderkolk.com for more information.
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