Navigating Trauma: The Mind is a Meaning-Making Machine

Don’t get caught up in the stories.

Note: The information provided in this post is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a replacement for professional medical or therapeutic support. The below information may not apply to everyone, through no fault of their own, but hopefully it adds value to those who find it relevant.

I think one of the toughest parts when processing trauma is the mind’s stories. Especially the one that says “is this forever?” This is a common theme I see when I meet with clients. It can really zap us of hope. When I was in the thick of it, that story, along with a swarm of other repetitive thought-forms were constantly at the forefront of my conscious experience.

It’s important to remember, the nervous system (which is the entire mind-body structure), is doing exactly what it’s supposed to.

One thing I noticed when I was in this place, was that when I would regulate and come back to a felt sense of ease, the bombardment of thoughts and stories would be completely, or mostly, gone. So, what does this mean in relation to the mind-body connection? What thoughts are real? What am I to believe?

Well, if you are really activated, I would almost encourage you to believe none of the stories coming up, and instead, resource and ground yourself. You can do this with various somatic exercises that focus on either your external or internal sensations. For example: Orienting your eyes to your environment and saying the colors of objects you see, touching a soft blanket, feeling your feet in the grass, slow walks in nature, a slow inhale to the count of 4 and a slow exhale to the count of 6, etc.

When you then feel regulated, watch how your mind is behaving now. Are the stories as intense? Are the thoughts as intrusive? I would bet they have calmed down, at least somewhat. Perhaps you still have an inner critic that seems at odds with every beneficial thing you are doing for yourself, and that’s okay. That’s merely a part of you that needs further exploration with unconditional love. However, it can be hard to explore a part when you are outside of your Window of Tolerance in a state of survival.

The mind is merely a meaning-making machine, trying to make sense of the sensations coming up from the body. Remember, there are far more afferent nerves (information carried from body to brain) than there are efferent (brain to body) in the human body. This means the mind is constantly trying to make sense of what it is perceiving from the body. Through non-identification and nurturing safety, we can regulate ourselves while supporting the nervous system to titrate trauma energy at its own accord.