We have learned over the years what information is particularly useful to the brain in this process. In that project, we had to follow the brain's lead, and where do you suppose that process took us? It took us directly toward the brain's own priorities, which is the relief of its own core dysfunctions, the consequences of its own traumatic experiences. Given a chance, the brain makes a bee-line to its own deepest wounds. We are likely still near the beginning of this emerging new therapeutic competence. Nevertheless, it is already clear that we are in a position now to turn around the many lives that are compromised by early childhood trauma"--"and to do so at any age.
There is even more good news. The infant brain is not only responsive to seeing itself in the mirror we provide; it almost seems drawn into the process. Coming to terms with the reflection of its own activity appears to intrigue, and hence to engage, the infant brain! And thus we have a pathway to recovery from the moment that a deviation from the expected developmental trajectory is first observed. Diagnosis not required. An infant or young child can be re-directed in its own developmental path well before matters get complex in their clinical manifestations. The road map at that point is still straight-forward, relatively unpopulated with pitfalls. Parents of developmentally impaired children should be aware of this option.
What has been the key to the emergence of this new therapeutic approach? The process has been described as a "dance with the brain, but the brain gets to lead." In conventional therapeutics, practitioners feel duty-bound to place themselves in charge of the process as the professionals they are, and to deploy their skill set. That is what they get reimbursed for. That is the standard to which they hold themselves. Moreover, they are required to operate within their licensure. Effectively they"--"along with the entire medical/therapeutic regime"--"are locked into virtual stasis. And thus they miss the heart of the story, which is the manifest need to potentiate the brain in the re-acquisition of its own natural competences. One has to allow the brain to lead the project of its self-recovery.
In the larger sweep of history, the above is not really news. Credit for the discovery of our native capacity for self-recovery goes to the yogis of India and to the practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism going back more than a thousand years. We have them to thank for their discovery of the unbounded capacity for self-recovery through the powers of self-observation and the adoption of brain-based discipline. Moreover, we have to credit them as well as for bringing that to our attention in the West half a century ago. Recall that a primary concern of Buddhism has all along been the relief of suffering. Our Western contribution has merely made these methods more accessible with the help of modern instrumentation"--"now aided with the insights garnered from modern neuroscience. Skill development that may have taken several years of mental discipline and practice can now be accomplished in mere hours.
This message is not just for the severely traumatized among us. Benefits of brain-based training are available to all. None of us know the intrinsic competence of our own brains until they have had the opportunity to hone their own skills. A headache should be understood as the brain calling attention to its own needs; it is not a sign of Tylenol deficiency. PMS is similarly a signature of brain distress, difficult as that may be to believe. Migraines are an indicator of brain instability; insomnia is a signature of brain dysregulation. All are exquisitely responsive to the enhancement of the brain's self-regulatory skills. Our modern society tends to drive our nervous systems into distress. Countermeasures are called for, and our brains are entirely up to the task.
Bon voyage.
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