Trauma, Shame, and the Body’s Memory: The Body Keeps the Score
Explore how trauma and shame live in the body. Based on Bessel van der Kolk’s work, learn why the body keeps the score even when the mind tries to forget.
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Trauma creates a literal disconnection between the mind and the body. You might intellectually know you’re safe, but your 'feeling brain' is still stuck in the past, reacting as if the danger is happening right now.
Esta aula em áudio foi criada por um membro da comunidade BeFreed
From the book, the body keeps the score. Focus on the concept of shame.
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According to the work of Bessel van der Kolk, the body keeps the score because it retains raw sensations and survival instincts triggered during a traumatic event. Even when the thinking brain tries to bury or forget a memory to protect us, the physical body holds onto those experiences. This creates a persistent sense of wrongness that exists as a physical state rather than just a conscious thought.
Shame is described as a negative self-evaluation that acts as the glue keeping the trauma cycle stuck. It is not merely an intellectual concept but a deep physical state that contributes to a sense of wrongness. Because shame is rooted in the body's memory, it can make individuals feel as though something is fundamentally wrong with them, even if they intellectually understand they are safe.
Trauma creates a literal disconnection where the thinking brain and the feeling brain become out of sync. While you may intellectually know you are safe in the present day, your body and survival instincts may still be reacting to past dangers as if they are happening right now. This mind-body disconnection explains why simply talking about trauma is often insufficient for full recovery and healing.
Talking it out can be frustrating because trauma often lives in the muscles or the gut rather than just the thinking brain. Since the body remembers raw sensations that the mind might try to suppress, a standard conversation may not reach the physical roots of the experience. Recovery requires addressing the physical memory of trauma and the survival instincts that remain triggered in the body.
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Criado por ex-alunos da Universidade de Columbia em San Francisco
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Criado por ex-alunos da Universidade de Columbia em San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
