Lose Your Mind, Come to Your Senses

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Leslie was one among many who seek emotional healing through psychotherapy.

All of us become wounded in this life, so the capacity to recover from these psychological injuries often deeply influences the course and quality of our lives. Research shows the vast majority of persons who seek psychotherapeutic assistance endured emotional trauma at some point in their lives, often on multiple occasions.

While talk therapy has a clear role to play in helping individuals heal their wounds, it doesn’t always produce the desired results, as was true for this middle-aged single mom and career professional. “I’ve talked this out dozens of times, gone over it and over it, but the wounds still feel raw,” Leslie explained.

The wounds in question were a series of personal losses and setbacks, ranging from her acrimonious divorce from an abusive spouse, including a child custody battle, to the sudden death of her lifelong best friend, followed by a traffic accident requiring an arduous recovery. The last survivor from a family of five, and suddenly without a close friend, she felt little social support. So, she turned to therapy; a particularly reasonable choice given her circumstances. That proved helpful, to a point.

“It’s hard to push these painful thoughts and memories out of my mind,” she told me. “And simply talking about them doesn’t get me the relief it used to.”

One of the common indicators of unresolved emotional wounding is the inability to stop ruminating and obsessing over past trauma. One can feel trapped inside the mind, which degrades into a kind of echo chamber that is never quiet. For some, even sleeping fails to afford much relief, which proved true for Leslie. “Sleep comes hard, then I wake up and all the thoughts come flooding back. I even dream about what’s happened,” she explained.

Even in the context of talk therapy, the exchange of words and ideas alone rarely creates substantial emotional healing. Rather, it is the degree of empathy and brain synchrony between client and therapist that helps salve the wounded heart and spirit. Still, for folks like Leslie, even that may prove insufficient.

“When words, thoughts and talking it out fail to heal, another approach becomes necessary,” I suggested. “You may need to lose your mind and come to your senses.”

In salving emotional wounds, immersing one’s senses in healing experiences can prove particularly effective. Researchers have demonstrated the power of sounds, touch, visual imagery and smells in this regard. Think of how you feel after a relaxing massage, for example. The emotionally wounded crave healing touch, even when they aren’t consciously aware of this longing. Or, consider your mindset when listening to music that speaks to you, about you and what you’re going through.

This explains why nature interaction can exert powerful healing effects for so many of us. Simply looking at a beautiful vista or listening to the crickets, wind and birds provides comfort. The natural world can offer a rich panoply of sounds, sights, smells and tactile sensations that immerse us in a kind of “warm bath” of sensory comforts.

Which sensory ministrations should one employ? Many individual differences come into play in this regard. Leslie and I examined what worked best for her, and she committed to seeking out these experiences ongoing. Before long, she felt the healing impacts of her efforts, not to the point that all was just peachy. Wounds heal but are not forgotten. What does change is the depth of emotional pain they cause, as well as the extent to which they occupy and hijack one’s awareness. The mind quiets down, the heart rests and the spirit finds new hope. 

Sensory-based healing methods go directly to the heart, bypass the thinking mind and quiet the pain of emotional wounds.

They don’t have to make sense. They are sense.

For more visit philipchard.com.