Waking the Tiger II
Expurgated Excerpts from
Dr. Levine’s book ‘Waking the Tiger’
Part II
Trauma Symptoms
The first symptoms of trauma usually appear shortly after the event that created them. There is a way to take back control of our bodies that was lost when traumatic effects became chronic. You can deliberately arouse the nervous system and then gently discharge the arousal.
The mechanisms of arousal originate in the nervous system. You experience them in your body. Thus it has to be in your body, immersing your attention into your felt sense faculty, where you enable the discharge. We use our c2C tool.
Our cognitive powers cannot completely overwrite the primitive need to identify the source of our distress. When the body/mind succeeds in locating the source of its distress, the need for identification is satisfied. A natural defensive response will then complete the experience.
This is a giant step toward healing trauma for anybody. However, out of habit, we continue to take the matter further, to figure it out, to give it a name, or remember it. STOP IT! It will boggle your brains more !!
Most people are more afraid to escape than to remain trapped. The neo-cortex tries in vain to explain, while the reptilian brain compels to act. In the clutch of our terror and self-defeating confusion, we will finally focus on our frantic breathing to the exclusion of all else.
When we finally suspend our need to understand, we allow our reptilian brain to complete the discharge of the extraordinary level of energy that was built up inside of us.
