Trauma and Memory: Brain and Body in a Search for the Living Past: A Practical Guide for Understanding and Working with Traumatic Memory

by Peter A. Levine, Bessel A. van der Kolk M.D. (Foreword)

In Trauma and Memory, bestselling author Dr. Peter Levine (creator of the Somatic Experiencing approach) tackles one of the most difficult and controversial questions of PTSD/trauma therapy: Can we trust our memories? While some argue that traumatic memories are unreliable and not useful, others insist that we absolutely must rely on memory to make sense of past experience. Building on his 45 years of successful treatment of trauma and utilizing case studies from his own practice, Dr. Levine suggests that there are elements of truth in both camps. While acknowledging that memory can be trusted, he argues that the only truly useful memories are those that might initially seem to be the least reliable: memories stored in the body and not necessarily accessible by our conscious mind.

While much work has been done in the field of trauma studies to address "explicit" traumatic memories in the brain (such as intrusive thoughts or flashbacks), much less attention has been paid to how the body itself stores "implicit" memory, and how much of what we think of as "memory" actually comes to us through our (often unconsciously accessed) felt sense. By learning how to better understand this complex interplay of past and present, brain and body, we can adjust our relationship to past trauma and move into a more balanced, relaxed state of being. Written for trauma sufferers as well as mental health care practitioners, Trauma and Memory is a groundbreaking look at how memory is constructed and how influential memories are on our present state of being.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Mental Health, Self Help, Counselling, Audiobook, Health

206 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2015

About the author

Peter A.Levine, Ph.D. is the originator and developer of Somatic Experiencing® and the Director of The Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute. He holds doctorate degrees in Medical Biophysics and in Psychology. During his thirty five-year study of stress and trauma, Dr. Levine has contributed to a variety of scientific and popular publications.

Dr. Levine was a stress consultant for NASA during the development of the Space Shuttle, and has taught at treatment centers, hospitals and pain clinics throughout the world, as well as at the Hopi Guidance Center in Arizona. Peter served on the World, Psychologists for Social Responsibility, presidents’ initiative on responding to large scale disasters and ethno-political warfare. His best selling book, Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma, is published in 20 languages.

Peter A. Levine received his Ph.D. in medical biophysics from the University of California at Berkeley, and also holds a doctorate in psychology from International University. He has worked in the field of stress and trauma for over 40 years and is the developer of “Somatic Experiencing.”

He teaches trainings in this work throughout the world. He has taught at various indigenous cultures including the Hopi Guidance center in Second Mesa Arizona. Peter has been stress consultant for NASA in the development of the first Space Shuttle. He was a member of the Institute of World Affairs Task Force with “Psychologists for Social Responsibility” and served on the APA initiative for response to large scale disaster and Ethno-political warfare. He is on the ‘distinguished faculty’ of Santa Barbara Graduate Institute.

Peter is the author of the best selling book Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma, (published in twenty languages) as well as four audio learning series for Sounds True including the book CD, Healing Trauma, a Pioneering Program in Restoring the Wisdom of Our Bodies; and Sexual Healing, Transforming the Sacred Wound. He is the co-author of Trauma through a Child’s Eyes, Awakening the Ordinary Miracle of Healing, and Trauma-Proofing Your Kids, A Parents Guide for Instilling Confidence, Joy and Resilience. Most recently, he has published In An Unspoken Voice, How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness.

Description courtesy of Trauma Healing.
http://www.somaticexperiencingnyc.com...

Reviews

[lov2laf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Levine is really a revolutionary in the field of psychology dealing with trauma recovery and I'm so grateful I came across his work a few years back.

"Trauma and Memory" isn't a self-help, how-to book but an overview explanation of how trauma works, gets processed, and released, what part memory plays in perpetuating and triggering trauma and the different types of memory we have.

For those not yet familiar with Levine's work, this is a must read and 5 star material. For those who are familiar, having already read his previous works, I don't find there to be much new here but it's a good refresher on the importance of somatic and mindful therapy techniques.

For those who have been through other forms of therapy, namely talk therapy, and find little progress, this also is a must read.

What makes Levine's therapeutic ideas different and what the heck is somatic therapy?

In a nutshell, Levine realized and associated a few things:

1) Animals that suffer trauma (i.e. get attacked by a predator) are able to move on from their life harrowing experiences with no adverse affects because their bodies go through a physical process of releasing the trauma.

2) People who endure traumatic events and somehow do not get PTSD or have some trauma but are able to move on much more quickly and not be left with chronic PTSD occurs most often in the scenarios where the person physically took action during the traumatic event (i.e. escaped from the burning building, fended off the attacker, etc)

3) Trauma in people is not intellectual, but a trapped body memory or impression that is stuck

4) If the body is later able to finish the cycle it needed, the trauma can be released

5) The memory or traumatic event doesn't even need to be true or remembered in detail or even recalled fully in order to process the trauma

In practical terms, what does that mean? We induce the triggers, follow that trigger in our body, determine what it needs, give it what it needs, and then bring us back to our present. And, it's done in a way that is not overwhelming.

Somatic therapy is a totally different from other therapies and, dare I say, gentle and effective. With it, I'm finally seeing true changes with my own chronic PTSD and use its practical techniques every day.

I wouldn't say to take this book and do everything on your own. No. Read the book to educate yourself and then seek out help from a professional that uses somatic and mindful therapy techniques.

Levine is really a pioneer and is a must read for anyone with trauma.

For those interested on the audiobook version, I listened to the book and found the narrator to be engaging. He read it dynamically enough to keep my interest in the material.

[Morgan Blackledge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok ok ok.

Hear me out pleases.

This book may save lives.

Please read it if you feel so inclined.

The author, Dr. Peter Levine is EXTREMELY important to the current (and future) state of trauma understanding and treatment. His method of trauma treatment: somatic experiencing (SE) saved my life and largely influenced my decision to become a psychotherapist and specialize in trauma and addiction.

So why the 3/5 stars?

I (personally, just me) found this book (and Dr. Levine’s other books) to be Excruciatingly Boring (EB).

Don’t fucking ask me why.

Because I honestly couldn’t tell you.

I literally get thrills and chills from books and research papers that make this one seem like a Dean Koontz joint.

I guess it’s just a very personal (and as of yet not well understood) aversion.

What can I say?

Other than…

I pretty much hated this book and couldn’t wait to finish it.

3/5 stars is actually generous.

I ordinarily don’t finish books unless I fucking LOVE them.

That’s what nearly all of my reviews are 5/5 stars.

I finished this one out of sheer force of will, and because I am currently doing a doctoral dissertation on PTSD and addiction, and I was hoping for something useful.

And actually, I gained nearly nothing of use value from reading this thing.

Anyway.

Some of the GR reviewers I love and respect gave this thing 5/5 with GLOWING praise. So PLEASE don’t take my (mysteriously biased) negative comments as reason to skip this one.

Given all that.

I just had to be honest about my complete and utter lack of joy/edification in reading this painfully bland, utterly mediocre (at best) text.

WOW!

I feel better now.

Thanks 🤓

[Claudia Putnam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, a classic, but now that The Body Keeps the Score is out... well if you had to choose, you should probably read the latter. However, you'd be well served reading both.

[Alexandru · Rating 5 out of 5]

O carte foarte interesantă, m-a ajutat sa înțeleg cum funcționează mecanismele neuronale și ce înseamnă o traumă !

[Kyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preface: I believe that the author is an incredible leader in this field and has been doing very important, groundbreaking work in trauma research and treatment. He's invaluable in the literature, and so I feel guilty for nitpicking below. So I'll start off by saying, it's pretty impossible to make a perfect book, and so the entirety of my criticism really doesn't amount to much! Overall well done, and a book I would recommend regarding the science of trauma.

I was torn between a 3 and a 5 on this book.

The 5 rating:

Excellent, readable, relatable, intelligent. Accessible while educational. Well-organized. Comprehensive citations. An important work.

The 3 rating:

Levine is a great scientist, but I felt that his writing, while very good, could be better from a tech editorial standpoint (i.e., simplification). I struggled with his case studies in that he didn't state their limitations. I would have better appreciated, "Here's an example that illustrates my idea," rather than, "This is what is happening in this particular case" (variables excluded).

All that said, I hate to criticize this book, because Levine *is* very smart, and a very good writer. I am loath to say this, because his writing style is excellent; I just didn't find it as engaging as it could have been (e.g., The Body Keeps the Score, another phenomenal read). I kept thinking of Strunk and White's decree, "Omit needless words!" Still, it was engaging and I read through it quickly.

I also found the chapter re: memory erasure to be problematic. Levine needed to frame it as an ethical or philosophical question, rather than currently, empirically supported. Please check the citations for this chapter: Every legitimate, peer-reviewed study refers to the nature of memory (which he explains well); but all--and I really do mean all--references to the so-called evidence that we already have the scientific ability to erase specific memories are from pop sci (read: unreliable, unsupported, sensational) articles, nothing peer-reviewed--save for one very interesting study on mice. However, this limited study hardly translates to the broader claims made. This would have been an excellent ethical discussion, or suggestion for further research, had Levine not overstated. I do agree that this has fascinating and important research potential. However, we need the research.

My nitpicking aside, I truly believe that Levine is an important voice and leader in the field of trauma, "body memories", PTSD, and so forth. I would be honored to meet him, and I do believe in his work.

[Lore LongSoulSystem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief but interesting. Three case studies of trauma.

[Lindsay Nixon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Textbook heavy / college lecture NOT self-help. This is academic for professionals.

[Bridgey Widge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Knowing that many people have benefited from somatic experiencing, it was helpful to read (on my case hear) explanations to how it works and some of the neuroscience.

The narrator sounded like the moviefone guy, which may have given some of the content a more ominous and sensational edge than Levine intended.

With that being said - I take issue when any therapeutic approach attempts to demonize another to assert that it’s on top. The whole discussion of prolonged exposure in this book makes it out to sound like an abusive therapeutic approach. His description reveals that he has not spent adequate time trying to understand when and how it works for many. For example, the continual use of the word “reliving” a Edna Foa has clarifies that it’s more of a revisiting with one foot in the past and one in the present.

The last 2 chapters of the book sound like fodder for conspiracy theorists. Imagine a world like Eternal Sunshine of a spotless mind.....and then for the entire chapter its like, “for real; it’s possible - evil scientists can do this.” (Again Moviefone voice probably didn’t help). In general, I become cautious when someone says the line “mainstream science”....I know Peter Levine has impacted the field greatly, helped many, and created a therapeutic approach from which many have benefited (including when other approaches have failed) - and for that reason (and the content that speaks to that impact) I give the stars.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives a comprehensive yet digestible explanation for how trauma memories uniquely code in our brains and bodies. It's heavy on the neuroscience, but if you're like me and into that, you'll love this book. He includes several personal and clinical examples to illustrate the denser concepts and that makes it a very enjoyable read. I just love Peter Levine's work and incorporate many of his techniques and concepts into my own professional practice. I recommend this to mental health practitioners or anyone interested in the neuroscience of trauma. Just brilliant.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anything by Peter Levine is a must for understanding how trauma impacts our brains & bodies. This book explains the various manifestations of memory and what must occur in many cases to bring someone through trauma rather then relegating them to an infinite pattern of reliving it. What this book lacked that I hoped it wouldn't were the practical steps and tools for Somatic Experiencing. In other words, therapist readers will be made smarter by this work, but not necessarily more skilled.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Levine’s somatic experiencing (therapy) is one of many contemporary therapies that seek to bring about therapeutic change through memory reconsolidation. The whole idea here is that whenever we remember something, the memory trace we’re retrieving becomes temporarily labile before it is reconsolidated. And as Jaak Panksepp puts it, “If we can soften the sting of emotionally painful memories by retrieving them in different affective contexts — rotating them in the mind’s eye in different ways, so to speak — then it becomes possible to therapeutically capitalize on the simple fact that positive affects can counteract negative affects.”

Levine nicely describes the different memory systems and how traumatic events can become unconscious. He provides the example of a woman who feels anxious and dizzy whenever she smells freshly mown grass, a perplexing experience given that she’s not allergic to grass. What sets somatic experiencing apart from some other therapies is its focus on somatic sensations. In the above example, Levine helps the woman access her childhood memory by asking her to attend to the bodily sensations she has when smelling grass. She does so and then associates to a time early in life when “her bully brother” forcefully gave her “an unwelcome and frightening airplane spin on the (freshly cut) lawn of her childhood home.”

Once the woman remembers the event, Levin reminds her that she is no longer in danger, thus helping her to regain a sense of calmness. He then asks her to again focus on her bodily sensations, and she realizes that she now feels “secure in her belly.” As the session progresses, she realizes that she is no longer feeling anxious but angry and imagines forcefully telling her brother to “Stop!” She then imagines lying in newly mown grass but now feels calm, grass no longer associated with fear but with comfort. Real-life emotions and real-life therapy almost never work like this, but this vignette nicely illustrates the basic processes involved in somatic experiencing.

I’m intrigued by all this and think I want to learn more. One thing that gives me pause is Levine’s failure as a historian, something that, fairly or not, causes me to question his credibility. He contends at one point that once Sigmund Freud turned his focus away from treating trauma, the psychotherapy world retreated into something of a dark age, rescued only when Bessel van der Kolk published an important paper in the American Journal of Psychiatry in 1989. Seemingly oblivious to Levine is the fact that important parts of the psychoanalytic tradition, especially the object relations movement, have always been focused on treating trauma.

Similarly, I find it odd that Levine does not acknowledge that the type of therapy he practices is not fundamentally different from many other therapeutic approaches. It’s as though he proudly declares, “Let me tell you about this fascinating shape, the circumference of which is at each point equidistant from the shape’s center.” And some onlookers find themselves thinking, “Oh yeah, you’re talking about circles, right? Yeah, we know about circles. Circles are really great.” I’m glad he likes circles, but lots of other people like them too, and I don’t understand why he didn’t just join the already existing conversation.

[Mandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely had some interesting parts and good research. I would have rated it higher but I can't get over how he describes prolonged exposure therapy. His description is way off the mark and clearly lacks a true understanding of what this therapy is.

[Ola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Polecam książkę wszystkim, bo jest napisana prosto. Dużo przykładów wspomnień i mało specjalistycznych słów, których boją się pewnie wszyscy. Polecam!

[Michael D · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great primer of Levine's work that has left me wanting more. I am immediately reading 'In an Unspoken Voice' because of this...

[Uğur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somatic Experiential Therapy

It is one of the two works written based on the way this therapy method is performed. So, what is this Somatic Experiential therapy, let me start talking about the content of the book, starting with it.

Somatic therapy is a way of therapy that has emerged as a very different type by being a body-oriented treatment method that has been put forward to eliminate the psychological damages caused by stress, being stuck in the past and trauma. This path, or rather the therapist Levine, has given rise to a new generation branch called psycho-biology. The fact that it is a form of treatment for the nervous system has made this work one of the most important thresholds for today's treatment methods.

The book tells us the dynamics of this process one by one. The author questions the phenomenon of memory and explains how insensitive a person is to his memories, but how memories affect people. Is it right to remain impassive to him when it's only a matter of time before memories process into our subconscious and give us situations such as stress, sadness, trauma that we don't approve of? she asks.

Levine, who shows self-will and self-return as a way instead of prescribing drugs against this, predicts that we can prevent this mood disorder when we get out of our subjective states, approach ourselves objectively and face our reality. Because a person who returns to himself (this should not be perceived as introversion) is a person who discovers how to defend himself against problems.

The book is successful in every way. I recommend that the interested person should definitely read along with the book Waking up the Tiger. Another beautiful book in which we will find ourselves again...

[Ana-Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Singurele lucruri pe care as avea sa i le reprosez acestei carti sunt de fapt minusuri pe care doar mie mi le pot atribui. M-am avantat destul de tare in incercarea de a citi o carte care poate nu e in totalitatea ei destinata profanilor in domeniu, si uneori m-am lovit de pasaje sau chiar capitole intregi care am simtit ca imi depasesc capacitatea de a intelege subiectul. Cu toate astea, cartea este scrisa per total intr-un mod accesibil aproape oricui ar fi interesat de subiect, iar concluziile si ideile principale sunt suficient de edificatoare incat nu te lasa la final cu sentimentul ca nu au ajuns la tine.

[sude · Rating 4 out of 5]

çok fazla şey öğrendim, birçok konuda bakış açım değişti. kitap gerçekten yararlı ama meraklısı için alelade okunabilecek bir kitap değil ne yazık ki. çok fazla yabancı terimle karşılaştım her sayfada bir araştırma yapmam gerekti.

[Luckaaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book found me in the right time. Strongly recommend. It's full of wisdom and fascinating insights, yet also quite easy to understand. On every page, you find something new and you'll feel as if you're opening new and new doors to parts of your brain and heart you didn't even know about. Truly a life changing book for me.

[Shiloah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had several ah ha’s for my line of work. Mostly this book confirmed so much of what I have come to understand myself in my practice.

[Nada | ندى · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading for laypeople and clinicians interested in the subject. Levine presents historical and new clinical observations in an accessible, thoroughly readable manner.

[Jean-Paul Eberle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A commendable contribution to the field of trauma therapy. Peter Levine, awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the United States Association of Body Psychotherapy Conference in 2010, truly has a gift for explaining potentially dense material in a palatable and digestible manner.

Levine reminds me of my philosophy professor from college, Jacques Taminiaux; I firmly believed Taminiaux could have taught the phenomenology of Jacques Derrida (who is extremely dense to read) to a classroom of 5th graders. Levine also has this rare skill and ability to explore trauma in an accessible manner when needed and reach a larger audience.

Levine's case vignettes are captivating and touching.

THUMBS UP!! =)

[suzy face · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in a day. I’m a pretty hardcore believer in applied behavior analysis which is pretty scientific and data driven. I am also very interested in better understanding trauma. This book was written in a way that would certainly helpful for individuals who are less scientific get a better understanding of both trauma and memory. Throughout the book some credence was given to observable behaviors and traits of trauma. Overall a pretty mentalist approach. Which is totally okay if that’s what your passionate or curious about. Some interesting theories for sure!

[Katarína Rojková · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prehladne zakladne vysvetlenie teorie, principu rozdelenia implicitnych a explicitnych spomienok, druhov pamati, atd.. Avsak mala som problem porozumiet aplykacii do terapeutickej praxe, akoby mi chybala hlbka, lepsie vysvetlenie.. Priklady z praxe mi prisli prilis "vzorove" a "idealne zvladnute" a liznute po povrchu a opisy pokusov na mysiach nie moc relevantne. Vyzdvihujem ale celkovy nahlad na problematiku pamate, spomienok a traumy. Urcite aj na zaklade tejto knihy budem dalej patrat po informaciach.

[Natash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best book I have read this year on psychological insights. Trauma and its influence are marvellously explained, presenting various insights on how it affects other people as well as the ones suffering. It presents us with an in-depth understanding of Trauma and PTSD by showing us scientific facts that are very well explained and explored. This book is accessible to any reader: an informed one as well as an uninformed one. Excellent read that I would certainly recommend.

[Aletheia Murphree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Educational. I recommend this book to anyone that wants to heal from PTSD.
I believe I can get a grip on my PTSD and face it head on now after reading this. Peter goes into great detail from stage one, when the trauma happened to the end stage, offering insight and guidance on mental and physical exercises that allow you to work through your past trauma distress that plagues your present time. You no longer have to relive the anguish.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good summary and clarification of what trauma is, though a lot of the stories I've seen in his other writing. I found the memory lens used for this discussion helpful, and I'm still glad I read it, though I could probably have skipped the futuristic discussion on drugs that may someday erase memories.

[Dave McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Provided thorough understanding of inter generational trauma backed my fascinating studies. Was quite thick in language and concepts for the neophyte therapist. I listened to this on audible but am definitely keen to get the book an re read. I have a deeper understanding of trauma and memory having reading this book.

[Marloes Oostindie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Het concept is denk ik erg vernieuwend en kloppend. Maar als je 1 boek van hem hebt gelezen, dan ken je het inmiddels wel. Ik vond hierin geen nieuwe dingen, wat mij wel teleurstelde. Ik denk alleen wel als je nog niets van somatic experience weet, dit een 4-sterren boek is waarin je veel nieuwe inzichten leert.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book. Hard to conceptualize this groundbreaking information, but definitely intriguing. I especially enjoyed one of the last chapters titled "The Future of Memory Erasure---A Fool's Folly?"