The influential work of Bessel van der Kolk (2014) has profoundly shaped contemporary trauma theory by articulating the deep neurobiological and somatic imprints trauma leaves on the body. Van der Kolk emphasizes that traumatic experiences are not merely psychological events but profoundly embodied phenomena, reflected and stored throughout the nervous and somatic systems long after the trauma event has passed.
How the Body Contains Trauma: Neurophysiological Storage
Trauma becomes deeply encoded in bodily states through persistent physiological activation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), stress hormone pathways, and sensory-motor circuits (Van der Kolk, 2014). Traumatic stress frequently results in lasting imbalances in the sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and parasympathetic (freeze/shutdown) branches of the ANS (Porges, 2011). Consequently, trauma survivors often experience chronic somatic symptoms such as muscular tension, chronic pain, gastrointestinal issues, autoimmune disorders, and fatigue—all indicative of ongoing bodily-held traumatic stress (Levine, 2010).
Dissociation from the Body as Trauma
A critical aspect of trauma’s neurobiological imprint involves dissociation—the involuntary disconnection between consciousness and bodily experiences. Dissociation is a protective, adaptive mechanism activated when trauma becomes overwhelming and inescapable, allowing individuals to psychologically withdraw from unbearable emotional or physical pain (Nijenhuis et al., 2010; Van der Kolk, 2014). Chronic dissociation disrupts essential neural integration between sensory-motor experiences, emotional awareness, and cognitive consciousness, fragmenting the person’s coherent sense of bodily identity and self (Schore, 2012).
Clinically, dissociative symptoms manifest as profound emotional numbing, loss of bodily awareness, impaired pain perception, or intense feelings of depersonalization and derealization (Nijenhuis et al., 2010). Somatic and sensorimotor therapies aim to reconnect clients with their physical sensations, restoring neural integration and releasing unresolved physiological states associated with traumatic memories (Ogden et al., 2006).
Neuroscience of Trauma in the Body
Neurobiological research underscores trauma’s embodied dimension. Traumatic stress dysregulates brain regions involved in somatosensory processing (insula), threat detection (amygdala), bodily self-awareness (posterior cingulate cortex), and autonomic regulation (medulla and periaqueductal gray) (Lanius et al., 2015). Ruth Lanius’s pioneering neuroimaging studies demonstrate significant alterations in the Default Mode Network (DMN)—critical for self-referential thought, autobiographical memory, and bodily self-awareness—in individuals with chronic trauma, especially those with dissociative symptoms (Lanius, 2015; Lanius et al., 2015).
Trauma-related disruptions in DMN connectivity contribute to disturbed bodily self-perception and emotional numbing, hallmark features of chronic PTSD and complex trauma. For example, impaired integration between DMN regions (medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex) and the insula (crucial for bodily sensation) leads to dissociation, diminished emotional experience, and compromised capacity for accurate somatic awareness (Lanius, 2015).
Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Somatic Memory Storage
Recent research further extends our understanding of how trauma is embodied, highlighting that memory consolidation mechanisms may extend beyond neuronal circuits. Kukushkin et al. (2024) demonstrated that the massed-spaced learning effect—a phenomenon traditionally studied in neurons where spaced repetitions of stimuli result in more durable and stable memory—is observable even in non-neural human cells. Specifically, spaced stimulation resulted in enhanced activation and sustained expression of key molecular factors associated with memory formation, such as ERK and CREB (Kukushkin et al., 2024).
These findings suggest that memory consolidation processes, which play a crucial role in the persistence and robustness of trauma memories, involve fundamental cellular mechanisms that extend beyond neuronal tissue alone. This underscores the profound complexity of the trauma memory phenomenon, reinforcing that trauma’s imprint is not merely psychological or even neural but deeply cellular, embodied throughout multiple biological systems. Such insights strengthen the theoretical foundations of somatic-focused trauma therapies by highlighting that successful trauma intervention likely requires interventions addressing broader biological processes beyond neural circuits alone (Kukushkin et al., 2024).
Van der Kolk’s (2014) framework, supported and enriched by recent cellular memory findings, underscores that trauma therapy must explicitly address bodily-held experiences alongside emotional and cognitive processing. Effective therapies integrate somatic, sensory-motor, and relational strategies to foster bodily reintegration and resolve trauma’s embodied imprints:
- Somatic Experiencing and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Facilitate completion and resolution of unresolved physiological trauma responses (Levine, 2010; Ogden et al., 2006).
- Trauma-sensitive Yoga and Mindfulness-based Body Awareness: Enhance body awareness and autonomic regulation, supporting emotional and physiological integration (Van der Kolk, 2014).
- Neurofeedback and biofeedback directly target autonomic and brain dysregulation, promoting balanced physiological states and enhanced somatic self-awareness (Van der Kolk, 2014).
A Holistic Approach to Trauma Healing
Advances in neuroscience and cellular biology confirm trauma profoundly shapes bodily experiences, emphasizing the necessity of addressing somatic dimensions therapeutically. Integrating recent discoveries about cellular memory mechanisms (Kukushkin et al., 2024) further deepens our understanding of trauma’s embodied complexity, suggesting a need for therapies capable of addressing trauma at multiple biological levels, including cellular and somatic systems. By recognizing trauma as deeply embodied, therapists can better facilitate holistic healing, integrating cognitive, somatic, and relational interventions to restore bodily integrity and emotional coherence comprehensively.