Recommended Watching
Notes:
- This is one of the most amazing lectures I’ve seen in the past few years. If I could have everyone in the world watch one video on YouTube, it might be this.
- It discusses the epigenetic effects and manifestations of ancestral trauma, many of which lead to symptoms that are deeply mysterious, cause a tremendous amount of suffering, and are often treated in ways that are inappropriate and end up doing nothing to address root causes.
- I suffered from a very serious health issue for the majority of my adult life that I kept mostly private and was, in many ways, similar to the speaker’s. Over the past six month it finally seems to be going away, but prior to its departure, it made my life a living hell.
- Based on my experiences with it, and based on the experiences of many others I know personally and or follow, I deeply believe that just about every assertion in this talk is accurate.
- If you’re in a pinch for time, and or on the skeptical end of the spectrum, start at 9:30.
Key moments:
- 9:30 – Discussion of some of the most astounding (and scientifically backed) examples of the downstream effects of ancestral trauma.
- 14:36 – Description trigging events that can induce massive negative shifts in personality and behavior seemingly out of nowhere. Side note: I recently had an experience that led to an incredibly painful breakup, and that I believe was a classic example of this type of event.
- 24:18 – Description of a very interesting case study in which a patient who had no problems with her parents developed a serious cutting issue that, the evidence strongly suggests, was a downstream effect of a traumatic event her grandmother suffered.
Recommended Reading
Notes:
- This is a book written by Mark Wolynn, the speaker in the talk
Excerpts:
“As psychologist Annie Rogers says, “The unconscious insists, repeats, and practically breaks down the door, to be heard. The only way to hear it, to invite it into the room, is to stop imposing something over it—mostly in the form of your own ideas—and listen instead for the unsayable, which is everywhere, in speech, in enactments, in dreams, and in the body.”
“Remaining silent about family pain is rarely an effective strategy for healing it. The suffering will surface again at a later time, often expressing in the fears or symptoms of a later generation.”
“What I failed to realize at the time is that when we try to resist feeling something painful, we often protract the very pain we’re trying to avoid.”
“When we cut ourselves off from our parents, the qualities we view as negative in them can express in us unconsciously.”
Final thought
If you think you might be dealing with an issue of this nature, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you’d like to chat about it, and or get guidance on dealing with it. A significant portion of my adult life has been spent healing my mind and body and I love to help others who are on similar journeys.
Music Recommendation