Waking
the Tiger: Healing Trauma
By
Peter A. Levine Ph.D., North Atlantic Books, Berkeley
My deep insight about the book
SADIA WALI
“If you are experiencing strange symptoms that no
one seems to be able to explain, they could be arising from a traumatic
reaction to a past event that you may not even remember. You are not alone. You
are not crazy. There is a rational explanation for what is happening to you.
You have not been irreversibly damaged, and it is possible to diminish or even
eliminate your symptoms. Psychology traditionally approaches trauma through its
effects on the mind. This is at best only half the story and a wholly
inadequate one. Without the body and mind accessed together as a unit, we will
not be able to deeply understand or heal trauma.”
As I began reading this fascinating book of personal
development, I developed deep understanding of human state of mind. How the
real causes of traumatic stress disorder affect our thinking, behavior and emotions.
The author, Peter Levine is well known for his work with trauma and the common
physiology with animals. There are various ways of healing the traumas. The psychiatric and psychological methods,
mythology and spirituality help to master the traumas of our life. Peter Levine focuses on the process of what
happens when we experience trauma in an extremely engaging way.
Section One of this book introduces trauma and
explains how post-traumatic symptoms begin, develop, and why they are so
compelling and persistent. Section Two describes symptoms of trauma and the core
elements of a traumatic reaction. Section Three defines
the process by which we can transform our traumas, personal and social. Section
Four provides practical information to help prevent trauma from developing
after an accident.
By providing
the examples of animals, the author makes us understand the human physiological
mechanism. It is essential to study wild animal behavior as to understand the
concept of healing human trauma. Take
the example of cheetah or animals like the agile which uses its survival
instincts for self-protection, human mind on the contrary becomes confuse and
perplex when encountering complex personal or social traumas .As we mostly fail
to handle traumas and hence, the traumatic symptoms severely affect our mind.
The author claims that people are often traumatized
by seemingly ordinary experiences. As Peter A. Levine believes, “We must discover why we are
suffering. We must cultivate the courage to look deeply, with clarity and
courage, into our own suffering.” Consequently, our suffering is a result of the
effects of the past events on our present. Traumas persist in the body in form
of energy cause a wide variety of symptoms e.g. anxiety,
depression and psychosomatic and
behavioral problems. It traps the nervous system and severely
damages our
bodies and
spirits. As he articulates, “The paradox
of trauma is that it has both the power to destroy and the power to transform
and resurrect”.
As the author elucidates, “When a person is exposed to overwhelming stress, threat or injury,
they develop a procedural memory. Trauma occurs when these implicit procedures
are not neutralized. The failure to restore homeostasis is at the basis for the
maladaptive and debilitating symptoms of trauma.”
The book
describes the healing process and prevention is the best possible
solution to treat the traumas. It requires an individual’s will and consciousness.
According to the author, we cannot control or change things that have had
happened in the past. Peter A. Levine
says, “I believe not only that trauma is
curable, but that the healing process can be a catalyst for profound
awakening—a portal opening to emotional and genuine spiritual transformation. I
have little doubt that as individuals, families, communities, and even nations,
we have the capacity to learn how to heal and prevent much of the damage done
by trauma.”
Alice Miller says, “Genuine feelings cannot be produced, nor can they be eradicated. We
can only repress them, delude ourselves, and deceive our bodies. The body
sticks to the facts.”
When we have identified the cause of our suffering,
we must find an appropriate path, we need to move on and recognize the
threatening potentials of the traumas. We should seek professional help that
will provide assistance to fight with traumas of life.
“Trauma is
another way to install a new behavior. We learn things instantly all the time.”
— Karen Hand, Magic Words and Language Patterns: The Hypnotist's Essential
Guide to Crafting Irresistible Suggestions (Handbook for Scriptless Hypnosis)
The book elucidates how the most common psychological
traumas affect infants, young children and adults. Parents should observe unusual
behaviors of their children if they undergo a frightening incident. Signs of
traumatic stress include regression to earlier behaviors, hyperactivity,
stomach aches, headaches, excessive shyness, and recurring nightmares. This indicates
that a child is traumatized.
The book employs a series of exercises that help us
focus on bodily sensations. The purpose of these exercises is to facilitate the
resolution of the trauma. The
creative healing process can be blocked in a number of ways—by using drugs to
suppress symptoms, by overemphasizing adjustment or exercising self-control.
The book helps us
to transform ourselves by developing our innate capacity to identify the causes
of trauma, heal and respond respectively. The personal
development guide is helpful for
those who have been traumatized; the readers instead of re-experiencing the
pain will search for renewal and healing.
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