The preparatory set: a novel approach to understanding stress, trauma, and the bodymind therapies.
Peter Payne, Mardi A Crane-Godreau
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2015 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00178 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | PTSD |
| Keywords | Body-oriented psychotherapy Meditative movement Mind-body Preparatory set Somatic experiencing |
| Key points | Proposes that the "preparatory set" concept can explain stress responses and the mechanisms of body-mind therapeutic and educational systems. |
Abstract
Basic to all motile life is a differential approach/avoid response to perceived features of environment. The stages of response are initial reflexive noticing and orienting to the stimulus, preparation, and execution of response. Preparation involves a coordination of many aspects of the organism: muscle tone, posture, breathing, autonomic functions, motivational/emotional state, attentional orientation, and expectations. The organism organizes itself in relation to the challenge. We propose to call this the "preparatory set" (PS). We suggest that the concept of the PS can offer a more nuanced and flexible perspective on the stress response than do current theories. We also hypothesize that the mechanisms of body-mind therapeutic and educational systems (BTES) can be understood through the PS framework. We suggest that the BTES, including meditative movement, meditation, somatic education, and the body-oriented psychotherapies, are approaches that use interventions on the PS to remedy stress and trauma. We discuss how the PS can be adaptive or maladaptive, how BTES interventions may restore adaptive PS, and how these concepts offer a broader and more flexible view of the phenomena of stress and trauma. We offer supportive evidence for our hypotheses, and suggest directions for future research. We believe that the PS framework will point to ways of improving the management of stress and trauma, and that it will suggest directions of research into the mechanisms of action of BTES.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on PTSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theorizing that Psychedelic Assisted Therapy May Play a Role in the Treatment of Trauma-Induced Personality Disorders. | 2024 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The potential use of N-methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDMA) assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of eating disorders comorbid with PTSD. | 2021 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD in adolescents: rationale, potential, risks, and considerations. Adolescents with PTSD | 2024 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Agency in Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Implications for Therapy | 2023 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Inner World in the Outer World: The Phenomenology of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder from a Psychoanalytic Perspective | 1996 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Yoga Therapy and Polyvagal Theory: The Convergence of Traditional Wisdom and Contemporary Neuroscience for Self-Regulation and Resilience Frontiers in Human Neuroscience February 27, 2018
- A Systematic Review of a Polyvagal Perspective on Embodied Contemplative Practices as Promoters of Cardiorespiratory Coupling and Traumatic Stress Recovery for PTSD and OCD: Research Methodologies and State of the Art International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health November 1, 2021
- How Psychedelic, Religious, Spiritual, Mystical Experiences Become Effective The Oxford Handbook of Psychedelic, Religious, Spiritual, and Mystical Experiences November 19, 2024
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