Alchemy
Trauma: The Vital Ingredient
'Just as fire can not exist without wind. Transformation can not exist without trauma' AA
In this very short essay I will begin to challenge the negative cultural & societal perceptions that seem to exist around the Phenomenon of 'Trauma'. Highlighting the importance of Trauma as a Phenomenon within the process of individuation & also highlighting how the alchemy that occurs within the process of human development could not exist without it.
In Peter Levine's recent book on the subject of releasing trauma he uses the Medusa myth as a deep metaphor in exploring the nature of Trauma & our perceptions around it. I will quote the following paragraphs as I feel they may lead me on in vaguely the right direction
PL "The greek myth of the Medusa captures the very essence of trauma & describes it as a pathway to transformation.In the greek myth those who looked directly into the eyes were promptly turned to stone...frozen in time." Basically Perseus recieves advice from Athena that he should whatever he does 'not look in to the eyes of Medusa or he will be turned to stone'. Perseus ended up using his protective shield to see Medusa's reflection in order to cut off her head. PL "If trauma is to be transformed, we must learn not to confront it directly. If we make the mistake of confronting trauma head on, then medusa will, true to her nature, turn us to stone". Later in the chapter it is written, "In another version of the same myth, Perseus collects a drop of blood from Medusa's wound in two vials. The drop from one vial has the power to kill; the drop in the other vial has the power to raise the dead and restore life. What is revealed here is the dual nature of trauma: first, its destructive ability to rob victims of their capacity to live and enjoy life. The paradox of trauma is that it has both the power to destroy & the power to transform & resurrect. Whether trauma will be a cruel & punishing Gorgon or a vehicle for soaring to the heights of transformation & mastery depends on how we approach it."
I feel it is also important to point out here that Perseus is the one that collects the 2 vials & it is Perseus who chooses which one to drink. Which points towards a potent & timeless truth. It is not the trauma that holds the power, it is we. We hold the power to rise up through the trauma that descends upon us, growing through the ensuing chaos. As we also have the freedom to give up that power & to choose to become victims to the trauma. I certainly agree it's a matter of how we approach the trauma as to whether or not we will be able to access our own inner power as the trauma itself has the capacity to take our power away if we approach it too directly. Dealing with trauma is very much like taming a wild animal, it must be done with great care or there is the risk of provoking the beast. The outcome of which could mean serious re-traumatisation.
Trauma & Society
Our western cultures teach us that trauma is something that should not be spoken of. The conditioning around this is of course systemic. We are taught that trauma is dangerous, something to be feared, something to be avoided. It is of course true that trauma is dangerous & of course it is also appropriate to feel fear in relation to trauma. If we were not to acknowledge the danger of trauma and we weren't to fear it then we would immediately be leaving ourselves wide open to being attacked & consumed by the beast. The fear that we feel & the danger that we sense in relation to trauma can truly be our allies. What is not true is that we should unequivocally avoid the feelings and sensations that are directly related to trauma. We have been taught that it would be better if we pretended that trauma didn't exist. This is the lie that keeps us powerless, we have been conditioned to choose the wrong vial! We must become aware of this & support others in becoming aware of this in order that we can as a collective species begin to turn base metal into gold. We urgently need to remove the systemically tinted glass from the church of our own perceptions in relation to 'trauma'. We have to become courageous as a culture if we are to move forward together, the courage of a few will no longer do!
Natures Wisdom
The following story illustrates several points including the notion that the way in which we as human beings approach trauma needs radical revision and it is towards wider nature that we should look for inspiration. The wisdom we need to demonstrate is already inherent in nature & it is our coming more in relationship to nature that will clearly serve us in our own growth as a species.
"Some years ago in China there was some scientific research done by Agronomists on finding the perfect growing conditions for Rice. The scientists set up a large indoor garden laboratory & took advice from the top corporate growers of rice in the country. They created supposedly 'perfect' conditions, exactly the right temperatures, flooded the ground with what they thought the perfect amount of water, the seedlings were exposed to UV light and heat that very closely mimicked that of the suns behaviour during the highest periods of rice growing seasons. The crops failed. The scientists changed water levels & temperatures the following seasons. The crops failed again. The scientists changed again their way of cultivation the following seasons & the crops failed again. For 7 years of failed crops in a row, after consulting countless corporate growers and advisers they were on the verge of giving up. When one day an old peasant farmer came by the laboratory to pick up his daughter who was working as a cleaner at the facility - he by chance overheard one of the scientists talking on the phone about the problems they had been having finding a solution to their issues of failed rice crop experiments, the scientist sounded depressed. The farmer, a humble and helpful man waited patiently for the scientist to get off the phone, when the scientist turned towards the farmer & noticed that the farmer had been listening his conversation he said, 'tell me old farmer what are we doing wrong?! We have created near perfect conditions for the rice to grow and for 7 years we have failed. We don't know what to do' he said with an almost defeated look upon his taught academic features. The farmer simply smiled and with a strange light in his eyes he said, ' I can tell what is missing here', he said whilst looking around at the laboratory like it was a strange alien planet he had just been teleported to. The scientist's face lit up for a moment but then dropped again as he thought, 'what will this old peasant farmer know anyway'..The farmer said, 'What you are missing here is the burning hot sun & those days when the sun is too hot for anything, what you are missing here is the rain and the great storms that bring the crop to the brink of destruction before leaving it to continue on growing, what you are missing here are the great winds that lash the crops from side to side and spread the waters unevenly around the paddy.' "
One of the main Tenets of Peter Levine's work seems to revolve around the study of animals & what they may have to teach us in relation to the way in which we approach trauma. Animals deal with trauma through a kind of 'shaking off' which prevents them from developing symptoms similar to those displayed by humans with PTSD. What I see in the above story albeit at more a 'metaphoric' level is that all the elements of nature, plants & trees included have a great deal to teach us about the way in which we approach trauma. If we could just get off our high horses for longer than 5 minutes & begin to entertain the possibility that all life is equal, that we are not 'superior' to nature & that we are just one small part of a much larger natural system then we might actually learn something!!!
In my view Trauma is like the sand in the oyster shell that helps create the pearls of Wisdom. Trauma can be a blessing & we need to begin allowing ourselves a little more living from this fleeting truth or the consequences for all of us will be dire.
