Energy Psychology
Continued Introduction Energy Psychology
How does Energy Psychology (EP) work?
Deactivation of the Amygdala
It is now well known from scientifically based studies and countless experiences with clients that EP leads to a downward regulation of the left and right amygdala in various ways. This results in a strong reduction of the alarm signal regulated by the Amygdala. This influences the automatic and uncontrollable value judgment of sensory perception. This process is an important part of the cascade by which the body may or may not end up in the well-known fight, flight, or freeze state.
The amygdala plays an important role in what is commonly referred to as the general-purpose defense response and control network. It reacts reflexively to unpleasant situations, sensations, or smell. Yes indeed, sometimes a typical smell in someone after a trauma can be enough to stimulate the amygdala. Think, for example, of the smell of rubber after a serious accident, a certain perfume/eau de toilette of a perpetrator, or the specific smell of an industrial environment where people were deliberately detained.
The amygdala are almond-shaped nuclei that lie deep in the temporal lobe of both the left and right brain lobe and are part of what is called the limbic system. The limbic system is also often referred to as the center of our emotions and motivation.
The amygdala is also often referred to as the underdog of brain structures. Underdog because its importance
is seriously underestimated by many. Contrary to
to, for example, our sensible and intelligent
pre-frontal cortex (PFC) - often referred to
becomes as the seat of our executive
(executive functions.
Functions of the amygdala
- Explores all sensory information (feeling, smelling, tasting, hearing and seeing) for threat or attractiveness. Safeguards survival - What we eat, drink, how we avoid danger and choose sex. Memory of the amygdala is always implicit and subconscious.
The reactions are therefore fully automatic.
See image of the "Left and Right Amygdala" shown below.
The amygdala has three main functions:
- Creating a personal library of dangerous situations. This archive developed during evolution and is still continuously expanded by us through personal experiences.Assessing incoming sensory stimuli - These are compared to potential dangers in the library and if necessary an immediate alarm response is triggered by the Amygdala. Activating Stress Reactions - The alarm triggers fight, flight, frostbite and eventually separation (dissociation).
There is an intelligent division of functions between left and right amygdala
The Specific Functions of the Right Amygdala
- When disturbing memories are activated, the right amygdala becomes active - The frontal brain (Pre-frontal cortex - PFC) and the speech center are therefore turned off. Is larger than the left amygdala. Responds to images, facial expressions and other non-verbal cues , such as laughing and yelling. Contains an archive of observed events and reactions to them. Contains an archive of possible hazards that have arisen during evolution - for example, images of wild animals.
Note: For example, seeing a shark swimming in the ocean will activate your right amygdala.
The Specific Functions of the Left Amygdala
- The left amygdala directs information to the frontal brain, to the left hemisphere, and to the speech centers in the brain. The left amygdala specializes in language. Contains an archive of imaginary stressors. Can learn to develop anxiety through language - without direct contact with the trigger or the fear. Associated with social anxiety, e.g. Sales Call Anxiety (SCA)), obsessive behavior separation anxiety and generalized anxiety.
Note: For example, when one hears someone talking about a shark, one activates the left amygdala, imagining diving into the ocean, then imagining being eaten by a shark.
When a person is confronted with a threatening situation, all kinds of biological processes take place in the brain that are moderated from the two Amygdala and are therefore controlled here.
For us, the reactions of the Amygdala are always primarily about survival.
The Amygdala and the Negative Imprint Cycle
During our biological evolution, recognizing (life) danger was very important for our survival for a long time. Unfortunately, the importance and influence of the responsible limbic system in our brain is all too often underestimated these days.
The impact of the resulting black-and-white perception is therefore very large. There is little more real life or death, but the (unconscious) feeling about this is no less in the present time. The most important contribution to this in people with intact brains is made by this Amygdala.
Feelings about certain situations in the here-and-now arise on the basis of images previously stored in memory in the past. Action/reaction to a situation in the here-and-now is clearly determined by the past. Sensory stimuli lead to an automatic value judgment, which in turn leads to feelings, which determine thoughts and ultimately reaction in the form of behavior.
One can imagine that one wants something, that one knows what one has to do, but as long as possible (unconscious) insecurity is associated with that situation on the basis of previous negative experiences, one will consciously do everything to avoid the situation.
I have schematically depicted the negative imprinting cycle of the Amygdala below, with a “shocking event”, a trauma, as an example. The Amygdala reacts like the alarm bell, one that makes no sound, but produces all-determining biochemistry in our body.
It has become clear through scientific research that the permanent negative imprint cycle is much stronger and therefore determines behavior — Much more determinative than a similar imprint cycle through our positive experiences.
Unfortunately, we see too often in PTSD care that an attempt is made to mentally circumvent this survival-driven reflex control in some way, for example by teaching the person to cope with his or her limitation in cognitive and/or behavioral ways. certain situations caused by post-traumatic stress disorder.
Below is a schematic representation of PTSD and the seemingly infinite pit of the permanent negative imprint cycle of a “shocking event”.
The automatic (reflexive) response of the Amygdala depicted above does not mean that humans have absolutely no ability to learn from situations. This is indeed the case. One can learn to register avoidance behavior to a certain extent. However, this is a painful and unnecessary process for most with PTSD, often leading to minimal improvement in PTSD symptoms. Given the advanced Energy Psychology intervention techniques that are currently available, this is no longer necessary and desirable.
In the rational approach one tries to create a reduced sensitivity to a certain negatively imprinted situation through conditioning. However, what emerges at best is something of an apparent temporary improvement, but unfortunately effective improvement based on cellular/neural personal transformation rarely occurs.
When the Amygdala becomes active and detects a fear-related negative emotion, the results of learning to deal with such (unconsciously) registered unsafe situations are drowned out by (reflexively) automatic undesirable behaviour. Moreover, when someone with PTSD is overwhelmed with emotions and this even applies to positive emotions, there is no longer any question of approaching the situation rationally.
This can just be the dubious look of a person, the color of a folder that is thrown on the desk by a supervisor, or, for example, the sound of opening a bottle of beer, or a certain smell that is present in a certain office. .
But not if one has effectively solved the trigger/cause of the feelings/emotions that direct the perception (perception), i.e. the image that one sees, by using advanced coaching intervention methods, one cannot want to have these biological processes anymore. but unfortunately without success. It is therefore certainly not surprising that a person with PTSD often gets stuck in a negative emotional spiral with a subsequent physical reaction of re-experiencing the trauma, or parts of it.
Following a negative reaction to a certain behavior or signal, the Amygdala will do everything it can to ensure that this reaction will be completely prevented in the future (ie learn to avoid). After all, the Amygdala is always a black-and-white life or death situation. These are the unconscious feelings that arise on the basis of the earlier perceived threat as a result of the “shocking event” and the subsequent body reactions that drive the precursors of perceived fear.
Our perception always determines our reality. It is not what we see with our eyes, but what we experience through what we think we perceive with our eyes, that determines our reactions. The HPA axis (see image below) which is only for emergencies, but unfortunately in PTSD is activated almost constantly and causes long-term high stress levels! When we feel that there is danger, the hypothalamus (the receptor) signals danger and directs the pituitary gland (the effector) to work the adrenal cortex (also the effector) to produce cortisol and this causes us to experience stress in our body.
It further reinforces a vicious circle, because we store information as threatening and as a result will experience new experiences as threatening in the future. In the end we are sure that the whole world is only horrible and we see that people with PTSD get into major physical and emotional problems because of this.
The symptoms of PTSD are essentially physiological processes, driven by perception. What determines our perception? This is the content of our subconscious. From there we indicate new incoming impressions. Our beliefs look for confirmation of themselves in what we experience, things that are totally new to us elude us for the most part, but not when they are very directly forced upon us by the situation in the here-and-now.
"The HPA Axis" The HPA-Axis Image – Source: Sarah Ballantyne
Shown below are the two Amygdala, located deep in the temporal lobe of the brain, part of the so-called 'limbic system'.
Image Source: Anatomography – Life Science Databases (LSDB)
- The hippocampus is a cell structure in the limbic system of the brain. Creates spatial representations of the world independent of the sensory impressions of the moment. Creates a context for memories. Can represent multiple aspects of the environment simultaneously and create relationships between these aspects. Can make parts together - based on symbols, words - resemble a snake the stick in the forest is very quickly 'compared' and based on this information is forwarded to the Amygdala - which sounds the alarm. Is the neurological map of your personal space. The hippocampus enables conscious memories in space. Makes memories autobiographical in the created spaceGives memories a place in space and time. Is able to distinguish between people and events. Transforms an event into an episode - in conscious explanatory memory.
The role of the hippocampus in disturbing memories and therefore in the origin of trauma
- Under extreme stress, the amygdala reacts with a shortcut than higher thinking: the fast and coarse (quick-and-dirty) way of processing information. This leads to fight, flight or freeze. This immediate reaction is very important for survival. As a person is unable to integrate the stressful experience, the memory becomes distressing - Often this arises due to lack of protection or support and additional sustained tension. The distressing event can then be reactivated at any time. High stress levels lead to a release of adrenaline .Adrenaline blocks the gate to the aforementioned hippocampus and therefore information processing is locked at the level of the amygdala. The hippocampus cannot process the stimuli of the event and thus give them a 'name'. are integrated. The event no longer makes sense in the overall stage of life. Sensory impressions ns in the amygdala therefore freeze at the time of the (traumatic) event. They can be reactivated by environmental stimuli. They cause reactions similar to those at the time of the original event. This leads to rigid (automatic) patterns in thinking, feeling and behavior If there is no chance to really release trauma over a longer period of time, the gate to the hippocampus remains closed. As a result, the hippocampus shrinks and atrophy ensues.
Pictured above is the hippocampus as part of the middle portion of the human brain.
Polyvagal theory of Porges
The polyvagal theory was developed by Dr. Stephen W. Porges, psychiatrist. It was first presented by him in 1994. It is also known as the Vagal Breaking System. This is a theory that links the evolution of the vertebrate autonomic nervous system to the emergence of our social behavior.
The theory provides insight into the mechanisms that mediate symptoms in various behavioral, psychiatric and physical disorders. The theory has stimulated research and development of effective methods that emphasize the importance of the physiological state and behavioral regulation in the manifestation of various psychiatric disorders and provides a theoretical perspective to study and effectively approach stress and trauma.
Stephen Porges observed that the braid, flight and freeze theory had gaps in humans. As a researcher, he set out to find the missing link. Until then, the autonomic nervous system was divided into two (2) systems, the sympathetic nervous system, better known as the fight and flight system, and the parasympathetic nervous system, better known as the rest and recovery system.
dr. Porges wondered, also from his own practice, why so many people's recovery system no longer functioned properly and they developed chronic physical and psychological conditions?
He then discovered that there were not two (2) but three (3) systems in the autonomic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system itself has two (2) systems with very different functions.
The Vagus Nerve is the tenth cranial nerve. It is also abbreviated as “N. X". Another name for this nerve is "wandering nerve" or "stray nerve". It belongs to the twelve cranial nerves (cranial nerves), which arise directly from the brain and not from the spinal cord.
dr. Porges has always talked about polyvagal in relation to the Vagus Nerve from the moment of its discovery. There are two evolutionary regions in the tenth cranial nerve. A dorsal vagus (back of the body) and a ventral vagus (front of the body).
The Vagus Nerve (Vagus Nerve) is pictured below.
Image source: Wellcome Library (Public Domain)
The slower Dorsal Vagus Nerve runs from the gut to the brain stem and as we now know works primarily from the gut to the brain stem - that is, 80% through up-regulation toward the brain and only 20% through down-regulation from the brain .
The oldest and largest part of the dorsal vagus is located in the gut and is also known as the second brain – referring to the ± 500 million neurons that reside in the gut wall, in the microbiome. With this, for example, we instinctively perceive and this also controls the freezing state.
The rapid ventral vagus nerve runs from the heart to the head, especially the face. This part really only has one main task – to continuously measure whether someone is safe in a certain situation – this is where the fight-flight control takes place?
The ventral vagus directs recognition of the spontaneous differences in facial expression associated with the various inner states of man. Remarkably, these are universal and therefore the same in all cultures.
This reading of others is done to assess whether these persons are safe. Furthermore, the ventral vagus also directs a value judgment based on voice intonation. dr. Porges called this ventral portion of the vagus nerve the "social engagement system"—the system that subconsciously steers for a safe or unsafe value judgment in relation to other people. In other words, it is safe and therefore wise to associate with someone.
It is therefore the most recent evolutionary development in the human survival arsenal – the ability to survive in groups. dr. Porges created a new name for the direct perception of social cues and called it "neuroception".
“Neuroception is therefore the safe or unsafe value judgment that we associate with reading faces and voice intonation.”
In the event of insecurity, not only is the Vagal Brake System activated, but the middle ear perception is also disabled, for example, because in that situation it is better to focus on danger (with a focus on very high and very low tones). The braking system keeps an imaginary brake on the heart as long as the Vagus Nerve thinks someone is safe.
In case of insecurity, the imaginary foot goes off the brake and the heart can work at full speed to support the body in this fight-flight state and make flight possible. The heart then beats (much) faster. When the danger has passed, the Vagus Nerve immediately puts the imaginary foot back on the brake, causing the heart to beat and pump more slowly and regularly.
According to the research of Dr. Porges, people who are traumatized by, for example, child abuse, shocking events or people with a borderline personality have a disrupted Vagal Brake System.
These people are out of rhythm faster (deregulated) and then take longer to get back into their rhythm (be regulated again). This personal resilience is measured by Heart Rate Variability (HRV). HRV is fairly easy to measure these days.
For example, studies have been done in which Thought Field Therapy (TFT), also a form of Energy Psychology, was used in which it could be measured that the HRV went up, but quickly returned to normal after using TFT. It appears that, for example, tapping on the meridian points in clients through this form of Energy Psychology gives a deep sense of security.
According to Dr. Porges, the Polyvagal Theory therefore does not take place in the cerebral cortex, not even in the aforementioned Amygdala, but deep, deep in the being of man, in the bones of people as it were. Many clients respond after an energy psychology-based intervention with a response such as: “I don't know, but I can't be bothered anymore – the feeling is simply not there anymore”.
So they are not words, no intellectual reactions, but it has a deeper origin - on a kind of reptilian level one feels safe again and because of that one can immediately continue - in a liberated way!
Energy Psychology apparently shuts down the limbic responses at the sub-cortical level. It also works to shut down the unconscious awareness of the threat and the subsequent reactions of the client's body. As a result, it also transforms the precursors of
the client's fear - the triggers.
Memory re-consolidation
Memory Reconsolidation leads to what happened when the memory arose. This allows the client to be consciously guided through a re-experiencing in safety – that is, before and after the Energy Psychology intervention, the person briefly thinks about the memory of that time – however, due to the bioenergetic change that has occurred due to the progressive intervention, the client a new experience after the intervention. This gives memory re-consolidation.
This newly created experience is now stored as a full-fledged and new memory cluster. The newly saved formulation of the memory cluster has now replaced the old version. This means that the neural connections are now connected to this newly stored experience. When a client is asked to remember the situation again, the connection will now be made with the last (new) memory made.
This is the new version, without the thoughts, feelings and hormones that were linked to the previously stored memory cluster (eg extreme fear of death, trauma).
This Amygdala deactivation and the Polyvagal Theory both ensure that the person can immediately calm down through EP and afterwards feel safe.
However, eventually memory re-consolidation ensures,
that the person stores the experience in a new, completely different way – a way that now ensures that the memory is changed forever and is therefore no longer emotionally charged. One has not lost the memory,
but it no longer carries a burdensome emotional charge.
From that moment on, one can also use a neutral
and intellectual way of thinking about it.
Clients also indicate that when they are asked to think about the memory: “Oh, I'm not afraid of it anymore”, or “I can still remember it but it doesn't affect me anymore”.
For the process of memory re-consolidation, after the advanced intervention, the client is asked to think back to the original trauma two to three times after the intervention. The client thus has several options to recall the memory again.
The client immediately notices the difference – this is not intellectual – it is not a request to the client to think differently. No, the client feels in the bodymind that it has changed. This experience is a revelation for the client and happens on the spot and has a perceptible and very pleasant effect for the client.
So when the new version is now stored in the memory, the old version of the memory can no longer be recalled. Sometimes the trauma has a clear connection with many other stored traumatic experiences – it can therefore happen that the client suddenly no longer fears all those other similar and related experiences.
So by using Energy Psychology it seems that the Amygdala no longer detects threat from memory. No threat as automatic value judgment, means no reaction and therefore no fear! The value judgment based on sensory stimuli has effectively changed.
This also makes sense in light of what has been said above about the Polyvagal Theory. And of course it also fits in the re-consolidation theory of memory and in the further application of Energy Psychology.
Forms of Energy Psychology (EP)
Since the 1980s and the original development of Thought Field Therapy (TFT) by Dr. Roger Callahan a lot has happened in the field of Energy Psychology. Many techniques can now be distinguished. I will suffice below to cite a few examples of this:
- Logosynthese® (*)
–
Dr. Willem LammersThought Field Therapy® (TFT) –
Dr. Roger CallahanTapas Accupressure Technique (TAT®) –
Tapas FlemingEmotional Freedom Technique (EFT™) –
Gary CraigEnergy Diagnostic and Treatment Methods (EDxTM™) –
Dr. Fred GalloBe Set Free Fast (BSFF™) –
Dr. Larry NimsIntegratieve Mind Eye Power (MEP®) –
Jacqueline Venbrux
(*) Although I have been trained in various progressive EP interventions and also offer various forms to clients, clients often prefer Logosynthesis®.
As a Logosynthesis® Practitioner, it is a pleasure for me to be able to use Logosynthesis® in the effective and integral solution of PTSD and trauma.
Logosynthesis® is a comprehensive model for healing and personal development, based on the power of words to restore the flow of life energy. It was discovered and developed by Dr. Willem Lammers, MSc, DPsych, TSTA, a clinical and social psychologist, psychotherapist, coach and consultant for organizations.
Professional use of Logosynthesis® results in a particularly effective way to resolve the stress response triggers of PTSD and Trauma. The application of Logosynthesis is easy, elegant, effective and directly measurable effective.
At Logosynthesis we assume that;
- Everything, every person is energy and part of the all-connected Energy Matrix (quantum physics). Energy is frozen or it flows freely. Energy either belongs to a person, animal or an object, or not. Words can move energy.
The basic principles of Logosynthesis® are:
- Everything, and therefore every being is made up of energy (Quantum Physics). Energy is frozen or it flows freely. Energy belongs to someone or to an object or it doesn't. Energy can also be separated and given to another. As a result, the energy of others, or of objects can also get stuck in the personal space around you. Words can move energy (move).
How does Energy Psychology (EP) affect the symptoms of PTSD?
As you have read above, based on the progressive interventions, changes are taking place that lead to effective changes at the cellular level and these result in new neural connections in the brain.
I sometimes compare it with a city you come to, at home or abroad, where an old railway line is located that is no longer used, but which has not (yet) been removed, often because of the high costs involved in removing it. .
In the brain we have, as it were, similar neural 'railways', which, after using the advanced inter-
vents are no longer used. There are new
neural connections are created, which conduct information along new paths, new 'railways' that are now in
the place are constructed, based on the memory
reconsolidation.
A new reminder has now been created that will be used as the basis for future connections. The old memory is no longer active based on the breaking of neurological connections and when new connections (associations) are made based on the perceived image, the new memory, which was made last, is used as a basis - and no longer the traumatic memory of that.
This can make it understandable for clients that they can still remember that they had a certain experience, but that there is no longer any negative emotional charge associated with that experience. It is now neutral, calm, peaceful and it feels relaxed. These are commonly used statements by clients to indicate their new situation.
It is important here that clients are not asked to do anything themselves to change their perception, or to
learn to deal with their situation differently, or to give things a place, or something like that - No, the automatic and
lightning-fast neural (reaction) pathway that was there before has become useless. This will cause a new comment with
a neutral value judgment in the brain and therefore
without the automatic unwanted reaction before.
The avoidance is over. The best gift as a coach, which you can receive on the basis of an Energy Psychology advanced intervention, is when a client observes himself in a situation for the first time and sees that he/she ends up in a certain situation, for example with partner and/or or family members, becomes very briefly aware that he/she is going to react in a certain way and then ends up not doing it.
The situation thus effortlessly emerges as a positive situation with a positive ending – a huge boost to the client's self-confidence and this underlines once again the phenomenon that transformation has really taken place on a deeper level and that it is really possible to get past PTSD. to go.