Mindfulness Practice, Emotions & Recovery from Trauma

     "... while the biological flight or fight response is natural and instinctual, when this response is blocked—as happens in trauma—the organism constricts. ... if the constriction from the trauma continues, rage, terror, and helplessness can build up, 'triggering immobility and inward collapse' and 'emotional numbing, and other forms of psychological disassociation'. ... mindfulness practices are well-suited to the process of mind–body healing, especially in relation to trauma.      

     The human cortex comprises six layers:

          Layers 1–3, referred to as 'top-down', are responsible for the matching of current experience with prior learning. 

          Layers 6–4, termed 'bottom-up', are responsible for the awareness of sensory input from our experiences. 

     Mindfulness practice attempts to dissolve the top-down constraints (layers 1–3) and strengthen the input from the bottom layers (layers 6–4), allowing awareness to be shaped by the flow of information merged from the two layers. 
     '... when this bottom-up input is strengthened, it has the capacity to stand up to prior learning that so often constrains us. We are not imprisoned by our prior judgments and come to experience the world with fresh eyes.' "

       Belinda Siew Luan Khong. "Mindfulness: A Way of Cultivating Deep Respect for Emotions." Mindfulness 2011; 2: 27–32.

Marc Chagall