Healing and hypnotherapy Volume 4, Special Mega Annual Issue , 15 June 2020 | Page 80

The Encoding and Decoding of
Trauma
“Sensory input to the brain, whether it comes from outside the body or
from within, is transformed into an electrochemical signal, the language
of our body.” Dr. Ronald A Ruden
There are three factors that need to be active for an event to be encoded and
maintained by the brain as traumatic. This encoding will create a number of
automatic triggers that can re the same emotional distress and reactions
(traumatic stress) long after the event is over (post).
The three factors are:
1. Inescapability
Perceiving an event as inescapable is subjective, it is about feeling trapped.
This can for example mean being in an open space with nowhere to hide, or
being caught by somebody or fearing to be killed.
2. A loss with personal meaning