Re:emdr and child part

You wrote:

"From a clinical point of view, what is interesting to me is the fact that emdr is an associative process, and it powerfully penetrates amnesia barriers by associated dissociated material. Attention is divided at the time of dissociation, I mean at the time of the original trauma. It is curious to me if attention is also necessarily divided at the time of healing or processing of trauma so that it ends up integrated."

I've been through years of working with memories in a retelling, abreactive way. It did some, but not much, good. It certainly did not lead to the associations or integrations which happened instataneously with bls.

My mind is wandering back to meditation again and the "observing stance". We (victims) step back from trauma, deliberately divided attention invites us to do the same. Some meditative practice does this, as well, by encouraging nonengagement with scenes, sensations, visions, etc...

I have read a lot of references to meditation as integrative... in fact, what intrigued me in the first place was that "healthy" (eg nondissociative) people were talking about personality integration as a byproduct of meditation. What an odd concept... that we all could use a bit more "integration" in our lives and psyches... :)!

I think what I am trying to say, is that, yes, of course, we cannot confront the bull of trauma head on. I suspect that much of the progress seen in long term talk therapy is due to resolution of attachment issues and such... it is not from the dissection and interpretation of tramatic material, per se. Whereas, emdr will associate and integrate material whether or not there is a good therapeutic alliance. So, talk therapy, is itself, in my mind, "indirect", a dual attention stimulus: most therapists and clients would articulate that they are working on trauma: I would say they are working on the "relationship".

I hope I am making a modicum of sense.

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