Somatic experiencing: using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy.
Peter Payne, Peter A Levine, Mardi A Crane-Godreau
Frontiers in Psychology 2015 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00093 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Somatic Experiencing |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Autonomic nervous system Core response network Interoception Premotor system Somatic experiencing Stress Trauma |
| Key points | Proposes that trauma and chronic stress involve functional dysregulation of the core response network, and that Somatic Experiencing restores its functionality through interoceptive attention and completion of thwarted defensive responses. |
Abstract
Here we present a theory of human trauma and chronic stress, based on the practice of Somatic Experiencing(®) (SE), a form of trauma therapy that emphasizes guiding the client's attention to interoceptive, kinesthetic, and proprioceptive experience. SE™ claims that this style of inner attention, in addition to the use of kinesthetic and interoceptive imagery, can lead to the resolution of symptoms resulting from chronic and traumatic stress. This is accomplished through the completion of thwarted, biologically based, self-protective and defensive responses, and the discharge and regulation of excess autonomic arousal. We present this theory through a composite case study of SE treatment; based on this example, we offer a possible neurophysiological rationale for the mechanisms involved, including a theory of trauma and chronic stress as a functional dysregulation of the complex dynamical system formed by the subcortical autonomic, limbic, motor and arousal systems, which we term the core response network (CRN). We demonstrate how the methods of SE help restore functionality to the CRN, and we emphasize the importance of taking into account the instinctive, bodily based protective reactions when dealing with stress and trauma, as well as the effectiveness of using attention to interoceptive, proprioceptive and kinesthetic sensation as a therapeutic tool. Finally, we point out that SE and similar somatic approaches offer a supplement to cognitive and exposure therapies, and that mechanisms similar to those discussed in the paper may also be involved in the benefits of meditation and other somatic practices.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 28
- Interoception, contemplative practice, and health Frontiers in Psychology June 9, 2015
- Steady-state visual evoked potentials differentiate between internally and externally directed attention Neuroimage March 23, 2022
- Self-Medication for Chronic Pain Using Classic Psychedelics: A Qualitative Investigation to Inform Future Research Frontiers in Psychiatry November 12, 2021
- Biological mechanism study of meditation and its application in mental disorders General Psychiatry July 13, 2020
- Short-Form Mindfulness Training Protects Against Working Memory Degradation over High-Demand Intervals Journal of Cognitive Enhancement June 1, 2017
and 23 more in the library
Cites 6
- Mindfulness meditation training alters cortical representations of interoceptive attention Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience June 11, 2012
- Coherence between emotional experience and physiology: Does body awareness training have an impact? Emotion 2010
- Movement-based embodied contemplative practices: Definitions and paradigms Frontiers in Human Neuroscience May 22, 2014
- Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density Psychiatry Research November 10, 2010
- How do you feel--now? The anterior insula and human awareness. Nature reviews. Neuroscience 2009
and 1 more in the library