Oslo lecture. Podcast Franz Ruppert
Trauma, symptoms, and illness
Difficult life experiences leave traces. Violations, bullying, incest, sexual abuse, insecurity, and neglect in early childhood often lie behind pain and illness in adulthood. Intergenerational trauma also leaves its mark.
The word trauma comes from Greek and means to pierce something intact. In other words, the body or soul has sustained an injury or wound. Just a few years ago, the word trauma was practically taboo. Fortunately, this has changed drastically in recent years. Authors, researchers, and journalists have published a large number of books and articles on the subject, and the word trauma is now commonly used in the Norwegian language. Authors such as Anna Luise Kirkengen, Ane Brandzæg Næss, Kari Killen, Inga Marte Thorkildsen, Franz Ruppert, Marta Thorsheim, and others all published books in 2015 that contribute knowledge about how vulnerable we are as young children, and how hurts in our own or our ancestors' childhood leave lasting traces that can manifest through many different symptoms, even into adulthood. Dr. Gabor Maté's research, published in his book When the Body Says No, supports the work of the authors mentioned above. Understanding the connection between experiences and feelings can make sense of things, and when something is understandable rather than meaningless, that realization alone can bring relief. It can be the key to starting a process of working through hurts and painful experiences. Dr. Siegel's book in neurobiology, "Pocket Guide to Interpersonal Neurobiology," and Joachim Bauer's book Why I Feel What You Feel are important contributions to understanding how mirroring through representatives can activate mirror neurons in the brain and make it possible to awaken memories, both explicit and implicit. Trauma leaves traces and can lead to symptoms and illness. It can also stand in the way of living life the way we want.
The Imprint or Early Trauma – Gabor Maté and others – excerpt from the film In Utero:
The journey from stress to trauma
Traumatic events are not something you simply get over, unlike short-term stressful experiences. Long-term stress has the same effect as traumatic events—it produces the same symptoms and can in itself lead to trauma. Traumatic events and prolonged stress continue to affect the mind until they are specifically addressed and processed through therapy. Any stressful or threatening situation that we cannot escape by fighting or fleeing (and sometimes fighting or fleeing only worsens the situation) is a traumatic experience that can leave lasting emotional scars. A trauma is therefore an experience where stress levels become completely unmanageable. As a result, we end up in a state of helplessness and intense pain, and the body's usual coping patterns and defense mechanisms are no longer enough. Instead, it resorts to the most drastic survival mechanisms available: immobility and freezing. This happens physically in the body (muscularly and chemically), and it happens mentally when the experience and its memories are frozen and cut off from the rest of the mind. In professional terms, this is known as dissociation and the splitting of the psychological structure.
Thomas R. Verny – the "still face" experiment – excerpt from the film In Utero
What happens to the mind when experiencing trauma?
In their book "Haunted Self", Onno Van der Hart, Ellert R. S. Nijenhuis, and Kathy Steel present a two-part model for trauma: "The emotional personality (EP)" and "The apparently normal personality (ANP)". Through his research and practical work, Prof. Ruppert has described a three-part model where EP = the traumatized part (TP), and where ANP is divided into two meaningful areas: the healthy part (HP) and the survival part (SP). Through this three-part division, Prof. Ruppert clearly and recognizably shows what happens when we experience more than we can handle and integrate, causing our body and mind to disconnect (splitting) in order for us to survive. Only at this stage, when the body and mind must separate for us to survive, does Ruppert define the event as traumatic. For an experience to be traumatizing, we can define these four conditions:
- Overwhelming. The situation is experienced as completely overwhelming for the person involved.
- Helplessness. The person involved feels completely helpless.
- Life-threatening. A feeling of not being able to survive, a feeling that your existence is under threat.
- Splitting and fragmentation of the mind into different parts:
- Healthy part: These are healthy structures that were developed before the difficult events took place.
- Traumatized part: This is the part of the psyche/soul that holds the overwhelming feelings and memories from the event(s). These are "frozen down" in the subconscious, but they lurk beneath the surface and can emerge at any time, triggered by sounds, smells, events, and people.
- Survival Self: These are coping strategies that do everything possible to prevent trauma feelings, memories, and physical sensations from the event from coming to the surface. Also referred to as protective strategies.
Various types of trauma, including love trauma
Traumas can arise from natural disasters, human violence, incest, sexual abuse, and a lack of love, among other things. They can be further divided into
- Early Trauma
- Trauma of love
- Sexual trauma
- Traumatization through one's own actions
Prof. Franz Ruppert has researched psychological trauma for 30 years, and his findings support that constellations based on the Intention Method are an effective approach for all types of trauma and violation.
Safe and lasting processing of trauma
When working through trauma, it is important that the client feels safe and can work at a pace that feels right. The intention method, combined with our ethical guidelines, helps develop and strengthen healthy parts, see through and find good alternatives to survival mechanisms, and process trauma within a safe framework. This allows people to take steps toward greater freedom.
Research and experience also show that trauma is passed down through generations if it remains unresolved. In other words, your challenges may stem from traumatic events experienced by your parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents. Problems your child faces may also have their roots in experiences further back in the family tree.
The Intention Method
The intention method is an effective approach for personal development and psychotherapy. It enables you to process, manage, and understand what prevents you from living a good life, and to work through it. This will also empower you to express your true self and live as who you really are.
Do you recognize any of these symptoms?
- Difficulties in relationships, personally or at work
- Sleeping difficulties
- Unexplained chronic ailments or pain
- Low energy
- Low mood
- Difficulty concentrating
- Memory loss
- Indecision
- Hyperactivity
- Restlessness
- Sexual dysfunction
Then Trauma Therapy with the Intention Method might be right for you.
For an introduction, we recommend that you attend our free information evening.
To gain a deeper understanding, you can look at the offerings within personal development or education.
