Everything is About Energy

Trauma symptoms don't arise from the "trigger" event itself but from the residual energy trapped and unprocessed within the frozen response. This energy remains in the nervous system, causing significant harm to both body and mind. When a small impala is chased by a cheetah, the energy in its nervous system spikes to 70 miles per hour. At the final leap of the cheetah, the impala collapses.

On the outside, it appears completely still, as if dead. However, its nervous system inside remains at a high-alert state of 70 miles per hour. Though the impala doesn't move, its body is like a car with both the accelerator and brake pressed simultaneously. The difference between the wildly racing nervous system (engine) and the frozen body (brake) creates a tornado-like turmoil within the body. This tornado of energy is the root of trauma stress symptoms. After facing a life-threatening event, humans (or impalas) must find a way to release all the activated energy. Otherwise, they inevitably become victims of trauma. This residual energy doesn't dissipate on its own; instead, it stays in the body, leading to symptoms like anxiety, depression, psychosomatic disorders, and other behavioral issues. Wild animals instinctively release all suppressed energy and thus rarely suffer adverse trauma symptoms. Humans, on the other hand, are not as adept at this. When we repeatedly try to release this energy but fail, we can become stuck. We may unconsciously recreate similar situations, like moths to a flame, hoping for a chance to escape the trauma trap, yet often lack the proper work and resources, resulting in frustration. As a result, many of us become filled with fear and anxiety, unable to find peace and stability...

Fortunately, human instincts not only have the potential to heal us by allowing trauma-related energy to flow, but also help our world recover from the ravages of trauma, restoring the natural ebb and flow of harmony, love, and compassion. 

Extracted from “Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma” by Peter A. Levine