Spiritual trauma can manifest over time with psychological, social, and physiological symptoms.
Unprocessed trauma impacts brain circuitry and manifests physically, emphasizing the need for healing.
Individual responses to trauma vary, highlighting the complexity of human experiences and promoting compassion.
Deep dives
Recognizing Spiritual Trauma's Impact
Encountering the aftermath of sustaining a physical injury from a shard of glass, the parallel is drawn to the enduring effects of spiritual trauma. Just as the pain of the hidden glass fragment caused ongoing distress, spiritual trauma manifests in various aspects of life and can remain unseen but deeply felt. The narrative illustrates how past experiences of control, shame, and harmful beliefs can shape individual responses and behaviors, akin to the hidden glass fragment causing ongoing discomfort and adaptations to daily activities.
Effects of Unresolved Trauma
Delving into the intricate ways unprocessed trauma alters brain circuitry and manifests physically, it highlights how suppressed feelings become embedded in our nervous systems. Comparing this process to the act of sweeping emotions under the rug, it signifies that unspoken pain resonates within us until acknowledged. Furthermore, the concept of allostatic load emphasizes the cumulative impact of stressors on our bodies, underscoring the necessity to address unresolved traumas to achieve healing.
Understanding Multifinality and Equifinality
Explaining multifinality and equifinality, the variation in individual responses to trauma becomes apparent. Acknowledging that similar traumas can result in diverse outcomes and that distinct experiences can yield similar effects like depression, it emphasizes the complexity of human experiences and responses. This recognition helps embrace diversity in responses and fosters compassion and understanding towards the unique healing journeys of individuals.
Embracing Healing and Self-Compassion
Promoting a gratitude practice towards oneself, the narrative encourages individuals to honor their bodies' resilience and wisdom. By acknowledging the body's innate capacity for healing and the significance of self-compassion, it emphasizes the importance of gentle and gradual healing processes. Connecting with one's body through touch and affirmations facilitates self-appreciation and nurtures a space for healing and integration, fostering a compassionate approach towards oneself.
The Healing Journey and Resilience
Illustrating the slow but steady process of healing analogous to the removal of the glass shard, it underscores the courage and patience required to address spiritual trauma. Emphasizing that healing can be gradual, graceful, and sometimes painful, the narrative celebrates the innate wisdom of the body in navigating towards wholeness. Encouraging individuals to trust their bodies' intuitive pathways to healing, it underscores the resilience inherent in the journey towards integration and self-restoration.
Sometimes trauma happens as a result of a single event, with a distinct before, during, and after. More often than not, spiritual trauma happens in complex, layered ways over a long period of time. In this episode, Dr. Hillary McBride talks about the legacy of spiritual trauma in our mind-body systems, including listing many of the psychological, social, and physiological symptoms of spiritual trauma. This episode includes interviews with Mihee Kim Kort and K.J. Ramsey.
Content Note: this episode contains reference to sexual abuse; it also includes profanity.
For transcript and show notes, visit holyhurtpodcast.com
Credits
Written and recorded by: Hillary McBride
Guest: Mihee Kim Kort, K.J. Ramsey
Executive producer: Leslie Roberts
Sound editing: Bradley Danyluk and Micaela Peragallo
Music and scoring: Jon Guerra, adapted from the album Ordinary Ways, strings performed by Valerie Guerra
Logo and art: Courtney Searcy
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