I have been focusing on love and joy in my recent posts. In this post, I am writing about a big block to love and joy: past trauma.
Many of us experienced difficult or even traumatic events in childhood. We like to think that these events are in the past and are no longer a problem for us.
Unfortunately, these traumatic events remain a part of our lives and become an invisible block to love, joy, and happiness.
Keep reading to find out how to release these hidden blocks.
Trauma, the invisible block to love and joy
First off, I want to define a trauma as any deeply distressing or disturbing experience. Common traumatic experiences from childhood include death in the family, divorce, accidents, and being bullied or abused.
Children can be distressed by an event that an adult might not see as traumatic. So, when considering past traumas, it is important to view the experience through the eyes and heart of your younger self.
When a child (or adult) goes through a traumatic experience, the child may not be able to process the emotions and release them in the moment. They remain trapped in your mind and body waiting for resolution.
According to Candace Pert, author of Molecules of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine (1997), these unresolved emotions are stored at the cellular level in the form of neuro peptides. Your brain produces neuro peptides, which flow throughout the body communicating your emotional state to every cell. This information tells your body how to respond in that moment. Is it time to relax and feel safe? Is it time to prepare for danger by running away or fighting back?
The emotions trapped in your cells are invisible, yet they continue to influence your life long after the original experience has passed.
How to think about trapped emotions
Emotions can be thought of as chemicals (neuro peptides). David Hawkins who wrote Power vs Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior (2002), views emotions as defining our level of consciousness.
I like to think of our emotions as having a vibration. We have a sense that someone has a low vibration when they have a lot of negative emotions, such as shame, anger, or hatred. We see people who radiate love, joy, or bliss as having a high vibration.
Even though the traumatic emotions trapped in your cells are invisible, they are still active. This has the effect of bringing down your overall vibration level.
Why is your vibration level important?
Your vibration level defines the type of life you live. You are drawn to people and experiences that match your vibration level. If you have a lot of hidden fear, you will be drawn to people who do not see the world as a safe place.
No matter how many positive thoughts you think, you cannot overcome these hidden blocks to love and joy. You end up feeling confused and wonder why positive thinking or affirmations don’t seem to work for you.
Are invisible vibrations from past traumas keeping you stuck? Are they blocking your love and joy?
What can you do?
One quick way to permanently raise your vibration level is to release these invisible vibrations from the past. I am going to guess that your next question is “If these vibrations are invisible, how can I release them?”
The key to discovering these invisible vibrations is your painful emotions.
I have developed a safe way to release low vibration emotions without reliving past traumas. I call my process the poetry of emotion process because you use metaphors, stories, and images rather than reliving traumatic events. You can think of this as working with a dream while you are awake. Go here to find out more.
Whatever method you use, releasing the past can improve every area of your life.
(Image: Ross Cowan)
