Michael Harrell posted:Hi Brian. Much respect for what you are doing. After you give an overview of what ACEs is then it is good to talk about where and what it is in the body. What they are is imprints in our subconscious or our autonomic nervous system that is controlled and centered in our vagus nerves. These imprints form our habits that are subconscious and what we assume is US. Like the way we walk the way we talk and the way, we feel including how we see ourselves. Our habits so to say. This is not conscious mind-stuff at all. It is subconscious automatic nonverbal and invisible. If say you walk stooped over. This is not a conscious choice it is a habit formed over time. Even if the person knows they are walking stooped over this information is not enough. That person must practice over time walking upright. This is an act of Will Power to change the habit and replace it with a new habit. Ok this applies to feeling anxious or depressed or feeling a victim. They are habits operating in the subconscious. Self-hatred is just a very stuck long term imprinted habit. The good news is habits can change with practice. There is a joke about people in an insane asylum. They know what is wrong with them. They have been to many great doctors who have explained everything about their condition. In fact, the insane people know more than the doctors do yet they are still insane and still in an asylum. Yes ? What does this tell you? Knowing and information is not enough. For change process is king. No process = no progress.
What I suggest is for you to learn these 4 processes yourself and know them well enough to teach them in a workshop format. The advantage of doing this is you can teach 10 people or 50 people at a time with the same effort. And what they learn is inner-directed, not outer-directed like conventional talk therapy. This is not even therapy at all.
ACEs IMMUNITY
Hi Michael,
Thank you for your informed reply - this is really most useful! I've been working with polyvagal and GAS principles in psychopathology for some years now so I certainly resonate with your wisdom and insights.
I wish you well in your essential work,
Best regards
Brian