True trauma healing work versus dissociative spiritual practices

It’s not uncommon for people with a history of trauma to end up exploring “spiritual” options to heal; including, but not limited to: meditation, breathwork, tantra, non-duality teachings, self realisation paths and many other new age philosophies.

These “spiritual” options are attractive for trauma survivors because they keep you out of your body, where all the uncomfortable and unbearable sensations live.

These practices come along and teach you to dissociate.

Contrary to popular belief, dissociation ‘feels good’. It numbs the pain. And that’s why these practices keep you in the continuous loop of experimenting with them. They give you temporary relief from the pain and suffering you are experiencing.

And even the “spiritual” practices that use the body, e.g. tantra, are doing it in harmful ways, such as shaking violently to ‘get rid’ of trauma. This is called catharsis. Cathartic practices do not heal trauma. Catharsis retraumatize and reinforce your survival strategies, furthering the split in your psyche.

True healing work is down to earth and it’s the opposite of bypassing your experience.

It brings you back into reality, to your human experience. One bit at the time, gently inviting you back into your body, discharging incomplete fight/flight/freeze/shutdown responses from your nervous system in a titrated manner. It builds resilience and it integrates the psyche.

No magic pill and no dissociative practices, just a journey into what it means to be fully human.