Why body memories would be specific to traumatic memories of sexual abuse is a curious assumption. It would seem that if the body had the capability to "record" traumatic experiences, it would record all traumatic experiences. It is also curious that body memories would specifically deal with infantile sexual abuse. If the cognitive processes are not developed enough to recognize, understand or remember sexual abuse, how would the body know the difference between sexual trauma and any trauma? Trauma would simply be recorded as trauma, if the theory had any validity at all. The fact that many therapists believed that body memories of preverbal trauma were only of a sexual nature demonstrated clearly illogical biases and ideologies.
 

Subject #1:

"Yes. What I see is that even though . . . Let me share with you a person. When I first started working with someone and they were talking about their father and they dissociated in the middle of that and they were like reacting, like he was in the room right then and not only did their whole body shake, especially like you could see like the goose bumps and the redness all up and down their legs, but you could also see like a hand print across her throat. It's like even though she didn't really remember it consciously what was happening, her body registered what happened. And when she moved into that place again, you could physically see what happened (#3--memory stigmata theory; traumatic reframing; attentional bias). That's like, like an extreme case but different people have different levels of that."

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"Do you know, I'm not really sure how other people explain it? I don't know that I'm the best expert on that. I mean, in my own mind I have related it to state dependent learning, the way that we store things, that our brains biochemically store things based on the chemistry of what's going on in their body at the time (#2-bogus biological, biochemical theory to support the ideology of body memories). And so, when it's repressed, our whole body will respond."

Could you describe that process somewhat? Like what is a cellular memory?

"Once again, I'm probably, as far as what's written in the literature, I don't know that I can. I just know what I see therapeutically."

That's all I'm asking for.

"Which is that somebody's, it's like even when they don't have conscious memory of it, it still registers in their cells, in their feelings (#2--cellular/biological theory; traumatic reframing). Sometimes like in teaching a class if I'm talking about different things, and even if someone doesn't connect with them personally, they'll get stomach aches, or cramps, or their throat will hurt. They'll get physical, like cellular reactions to what's being said. I believe that's a form of remembering" (#1--sensory memory theory; attentional bias; traumatic reframing).

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Actually, they are probably the same number, at least half. Most people, if they know and they're willing to work on that, then they always feel safe with me and they will go into those places" (hypnotic model of persuasion; "safe" theory).

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"They are no longer connected in the here and now. They're usually, you know, usually, once I'm safe with someone and they dissociate when we're talking about something, I will go with them to where they go and in that process, I'll start to notice all the physical symptoms start happening, because there's almost always body memories there" (inadvertent hypnosis; attentional bias; selective reinforcement).
 

Subject #2:

"Let's see, what I believe is that memories can be stored in the tissues of the body. And sometimes people will begin to have symptomatology around their bodies before they have cognitive memories (#2--cellular memory storage theory; traumatic reframing). Some examples of that are sometimes people have a sense of their being restrained or tied up or something like that and they will have a distinct sensation of that around their wrists. Sometimes people have vaginal pain (#1--sensory memory). So my understanding of body memories, that is what it is."

Do you have any more technical terminology to describe how memories are stored in the tissues of the body?

"(Laughs) Well I guess I just believe that sometimes the body remembers when the mind can't" (#4-The Courage to Heal slogan).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"Yes."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Of the 80 to 90 percent of the clients I see that have sexual abuse history, probably less than half of those have body memories, maybe even less than that, but you know sometimes they have a lot of somatic complaints that might really be about their histories, but in terms of identifying it, them identifying it as a body memory, or even me, identifying it as body memory, it would probably be in the neighborhood of about 30 to 40 percent."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"Well, I can't and they can't always tell that. Sometimes it's absolutely unmistakable. But in most cases that's not so. In most cases there's other ways to explain it . . . you know more logical, rational present day things to explain it. The kinds of clients that I find that have body memories where it's clearest, to me and to them, are my clients who have ritual history" (attentional bias).

Subject #3:

"You want me to define it?"

Yes.

"Okay, how I would define body memories are when there's twitching or sensation, oh, such as something hot or cold or you can feel something pressing onto your body but you can't see anything. And, you don't have an actual memory in the intellectual realm" (#1 and #6--a totally meaningless sensory memory theory; traumatic reframing; attentional bias).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"It does with me."

Could you describe cellular memories?

"Okay, to me cellular memories are similar to what I just described and oftentimes there are actual data that comes up with it at the same time that people have often reported as thinking that maybe it didn't happen in this lifetime, that it happened in some other lifetime (#5- logical fallacy of the false cause). Or, that it did happen in this lifetime but they don't have memory of it happening to them, so it has the sensation along with memory, frequently."

Okay, how would you access that then?

"You mean how do I get the client into that place?"

Yes, or how was the information accessed?

"Well, in a variety of ways. Sometimes it's spontaneous where this stuff is happening to them and they don't know what it is, and so, I'll say, 'well, this looks like a body memory.' So, sometimes I tell them. Since it's going on and they don't know what it is, so I say this is what a body memory looks like. I define it and describe it (therapeutic language; traumatic reframing; the learning model of persuasion). They are the ones that then validate if that's what it is or not. Another way is through imagery, eyes closed, or visualization work, where they go into, they journey into the imagination or consciousness, whatever you want to call it, with their eyes closed and recall a memory. And in the recall of that memory frequently they will go into what I would call a regression. Which is they leave this time and space and enter into that memory time and space" (hypnotic model of persuasion; traumatic remembering).

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"I would say 95 percent."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"Well, I don't think it's yes or no. What I have to do is tell them what I'm observing, check it out with them (traumatic reframing; selective reinforcement). They have to give me feedback and we have to work back aud forth with this. I don't think that as a responsible counselor, I can say absolutely that that's what's happening to them. It has to be a partnership."

Subject #4:

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"Yes."

Is there some way you could describe that, like how does the body store memories?

"I don't think anybody really knows that, as yet."

But the concept of cellular memories and body memories are similar concepts?

"They are to me."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Gosh, I don't know. I'll guess 33 percent."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"Well, they'll describe it to me."

Well, can you describe that a little bit more, like what would be happening?

"Oh, okay. They might be shaking very heavily, as in a major fear reaction to something that they, that triggered them in their present life, like looking at a certain picture or driving by a certain house."

Subject #5:

"Body memories are those things that may happen within the body physically that may be, if ruled out as having no medical basis, may be recurring; however, there are many body memories that are also medically based and I would suggest that they work with a doctor who is aware of those, a medical doctor who is aware of that" (#l-somatic complaints; sensory memory storage theory).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"Yes. Well I think that whatever happens to us the body remembers in great detail and doesn't lose it" (#4--variation of Bass and Davis slogan).

Could you describe how the body stores memories or how memories are stored on a cellular level?

"No, I probably couldn't. I'm not educated in that part as far as, I believe in the concept. Let's put it that way. I don't know how it does it and I don't know that anybody at this point knows how it does it."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Of the sexual clients? I'd say I don't know of any that haven't, oh, 95 percent" (attentional bias).

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"No, generally the client will tell me."

Subject#6:

"Even though the abuse for some is conscious and the abuse for some is unconscious, the trauma is held, I believe, in the cellular level (#2--cellular/biologica1 theory). So often a person will be, again, sometimes it's conscious, sometimes it's unconscious. I've had it where bruises reappear where, I had one woman that was burned with cigarettes the welts reappear (#3--memory stigmata theory). Sometimes is not in the physical but more of the, you know, 'I just feel like there are hands on my body' (#1--somatic sensations). That sort of stuff. And I always explain it as that's the healing process. That's the body releasing it and it's moving out, even though it's terrifying, that's a positive. So, I try to help them understand what's going on and make sense of that reality" (therapeutic thinking; survivor logic; the learning model of persuasion).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"I think so."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Say 40 percent."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"Usually they'll report it. I mean if they're just sitting there, I can't say I think somebody's choking you now. Usually, they will, I can tell because they're giving me, I mean I can tell if they're getting terrified and I say, 'What's happening? What's going on with you now?' but it's usually because of what they're giving me."

Subject #7:

"Physical sensations" (#1- somatic complaints or sensations).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"I don't know."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Fifty percent."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"I can't always."

Subject #8:

"My description would be feelings or pain in the body that doesn't seem to have any connection with what's happening at the moment' (#l-somatic complaints; sensory impressions; #5--logical fallacy of the false cause; survivor logic; propaganda model of persuasion).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"I never thought about that, Susan, but probably so."

Do you understand the concept of cellular memories? What is the concept?

"In my thinking it's like the Reichian theory that we hold our emotions and or memories in our body, in cells of our body, literally, and that our cells have memories. That the memories are not just in the brain, they're in our bodies" (#2--cellular /biological theory).

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Probably 20 percent. Wait, that's probably not true. It's probably more than 30 percent."

Can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"Sometimes."

Subject #9:

"Okay, body memories. It's a cellular memory of trauma that often is not related to any cognitive memory of the event" (#2--cellular/biological theory).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"Yes."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"That talks about it, I would say 20 percent."

Can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"No, but they can."

Subject #10:

"Yes, I've had people who present themselves as having like phantom pain. They're not real. Maybe having pain periodically in the anus and having that checked out for physical causes and there's no physical, actual reason that you don't have problems like with stools that would create that, but they would have that pain and there's no reasonable explanation for it" (#1-somatic complaints; sensory impressions; survivor logic; propaganda model of persuasion).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"Well, no I don't see it as quite the same thing."

Could you describe the concept or the theory of cellular memories?

"No, but body memories to me are when a child is abused, or a person is abused, that information is being input and recorded in the entire system, so even if the mind doesn't remember it, your body has learned through the neuro-pathways and the biochemical changes that result when people are having the experience, that something is happening to them (#2--biological theory). They have an emotional response and through their emotions have biochemical changes you may create as well."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"I've had a smaller percentage of people who do that. People who have no recollection of having been sexually abused seem to have more in the way of body memories (selective reinforcement; attentional bias). So, I would guess that maybe of those who have repressed, maybe 15 percent of those have body memories. It helps them to further access some of the information."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"Well, part of that is self-report and sometimes by just watching them. How they carry themselves, what they do. You know I may ask them, 'What's going on right now?' and somebody will say, 'Well, I just had this feeling, like a real sensitive area on my thigh, and there's no reason for that but I know I've had that feeling before and it doesn't seem to connect with anything"' (#5--logical fallacy; traumatic reframing).

Subject #11:

"Body memories are feelings in the body that were probably taken in by the child when the child was very young and so the child may be pre-verbal and can't remember or get it into a logical sequence and be able to talk about it very well, but they have the felt sensations. So, I'd say body memories are these felt sensations of what happened to them" (#l--sensory memory theory).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"Yes, I do believe that, yes."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Many, I think all of them to some degree and it all depends on the age and the type of abuse."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"I find that there is actual body twitching, body movement and sometimes a client complains of feelings of warmth or wetness, or that kind of thing" (#6-mumbo jumbo-from symptoms this vague all you could reasonably conclude is that the client is alive).

Subject #12:

"No."

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"I don't have anything on that."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"I don't feel like I know enough of an accurate definition of that to answer accurately."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"I don't know."

Subject #13:

"A body memory is either a pain or some physical reproducing of a bruise or a welt that occurs" (#3-memory stigmata theory)

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"Yes. Well, you can't have a body memory unless the cells are operating in such a way (#6-mumbo jumbo). To me they are one in the same. Both are operating at the same time. I believe the body never forgets an experience and that would be contained in the cells of the body (#4-- variation of Bass and Davis slogan; survivor logic; propaganda model of persuasion). I don't make a big distinction like some people do."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"I think 100 percent experience body memories if you're doing deep feelings work with them. Eventually they're going to experience it" (attentional bias; selective reinforcement).

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"I check out by questioning what the various parts of their body is feeling and I look for different responses and effectual responses that may cue me they're having one."
 

Subject #14:

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"All."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"They signal when hypnotically regressed (hypnotic rnodel of persuasion)."

Subject #15:

"If a person is having memories or flashes or blips of abuse that occurred they usually will have some kind of somatic response from part of the body. That somatic response may be anything from welts or pimples to severe cramping to major pain" (#1~somatic theory; traumatic reframing).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"I don't know."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Probably all of them."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"They usually double up in my office."

Subject #16:

"Okay, the way I see it is that people may not have a visual memory in their mind, or a cognitive memory of abuse but they may with a trigger, for instance, a dream or just hearing about something, they may experience pain or discomfort in their body. And that may or may not be in a sexual feeling. It may be a pain in their neck that is recurring (#5--logical fallacy of the false cause). So in other words, when someone's getting close to remembering something, they may have the beginning of the memory in their body (traumatic reframing). Or, for instance, I've had people in their wrists, aching in their wrists have, you know, because that's come about later that they were held by their wrists, or during the abuse" (#1-sensory memory theory; traumatic reframing; survivor logic; propaganda model of persuasion).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"For me it does."

Could you describe cellular memories in a little more detail and more technically?

"I don't know if I can do it technically, but the way I conceptualize that is that I feel that all the memory, the memory of traumatic events is stored cellularly (#2- cellular memory storage theory). And so that when the memory begins to become known, that the repression is reversed, for instance, the cells actually recall the experience and there could be, there almost could be like a flooding of toxicity in the body, so there could be a lot of anxiety due to adrenaline. Or sickness, like flu-like symptoms, for instance, you know, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and so, I believe that's essentially the trauma. It then can be stored at a cellular level" (#2 and #6--official sounding cellular memory mumbo jumbo; survivor logic; propaganda model of persuasion).

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Of the sexual abuse people,I'd say 70 to 80 percent" (selective attention).

How can you tell when a client is experiencing body memory?

"Well, it's obvious in their body. I guess you, I look for any signs that, if they continue to rub their necks, for instance, or shift around a lot, I would just look for nonverbal clues that something's happening to them physically and then ask them, you know, what they're experiencing in their body, or have they been having persistent symptoms when they leave therapy, or for the next few days, that type of thing" (attentional bias; traumatic reframing).

Subject #17:

"Body memories are physical symptoms that cannot be explained or diagnosed" (#6--completely meaningless statement).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular menlories? Have you heard those two used interchangeably?

"No, I don't use them interchangeably."

Is there any relationship with the two ideas?

"Yes, I guess there could be some relationship."

Okay, could you explain cellular memories a little more?

"Cellular memories in my understanding are that the very, within each cell there's a mitochondria that has the capacity for recording events" (#2 and #6-bogus biological theory).

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Maybe 50 percent."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"Well, they will talk about having a pain and they can associate the pain in their body with some thoughts about abuse" (traumatic reframing).

Subject #18:

"Well, I think that is any kinesthetic experience by someone that is regressive in nature and doesn't have to do with something that's going on in their lives here and now" (#1, #5 and #6-sensory or somatic impression theory that makes no sense but offers an official sounding explanation).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"I don't know about cellular memories."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Twenty-five percent, maybe."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"Well, usually they are describing some kind of kinesthetic experience that doesn't have anything to do with what's going on in their lives right now and that's distressing to them. That's why they are bringing it up. Usually when we track it in trance, it goes back to a specific sexual abuse memory or cult memory" (traumatic reframing; survivor logic).

Subject #19:

"Body memories are similar to having a flashback or remembering something, but it's more like your body's experiencing it" (#1-sensory impression theory).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"I'm not too sure what cellular memories are."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Maybe 30 percent."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"They dissociate, meaning they get a blank stare, something like that. They may feel just a lot of terror all through their bodies. I just had a girl yesterday become totally frightened and scared and she couldn't move any part of her body. That kind of thing, or another woman I worked with felt like there was fur in her mouth and she couldn't get it out. That kind of thing" (# 5-logical fallacy).

Subject #20:

"It's when you don't have a cognitive or a mental image but your body remembers a traumatic event or something that's happened to it, so the memory is in your body. Like, for instance, somebody that was forced to have oral sex with her father might have a gagging response for no reason. You know, her throat is responding to the pressure but there's no pressure there" (#1 and #5- Sensory impression theory; logical fallacy; traumatic reframing).

Does the concept of body memories correspoud to the concept of cellular memories?

"I don't know what you mean by cellular."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Fifty percent."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing body memory?

"Just in their non-verbal cues and, you know, their body will either tense up or they'll do something, that'1l, you know, be unrelated to what we're talking about" (#5--logical fallacy; attentional bias).

Subject #21:

"An unexplained physiological experience, well, basically an unexplained physiological response that is not originating in the moment or the experience going on right now" (#1 and #5--somatic impression theory and logical fallacy; traumatic reframing; the learning model of persuasion).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"No. Wait, do you mean correspond?"

Yes.

"Sometimes."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Probably 60 percent."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"A lot of times self-report."

Subject #22:

"Yes. Body memory would be a memory of some particular type of trauma that is experienced physiologically or physically within the body even though there seems to be no clear explanation of why it is occurring and where it's coming from" (#1 and #5-somatic impression theory; logical fallacy; traumatic reframing; the learning model of persuasion).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the coucept of cellular memories?

"Cellular memories?"

If you're not familiar with the terminology, you don't have to extrapolate on that. Usually I see those in the literature together implying that cellular memories and body memories are similar concepts. That the cells of the body hold memories.

"Oh, I've heard of that from physical therapists and some massage therapists and so forth, but I haven't, I wouldn't, I haven't cxplored that end of it enough to really make a comment on that."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Sexual abuse clients, probably, eventually I would say probably 90 percent of them" (attentional bias)

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"If they're having one in my office it's pretty clear. If it's not in my office they usually report it to me what, are confused by it, then I describe what a body memory is" (traumatic reframing; learning model of persuasion).

Subject #23:

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"70 percent."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"Self-report."

Subject #24:

"Yes, what I think is that when people go through traumatic events, what we tend to do is we process that information in any of four different ways. Like cognitively, or emotionally, or physically, you can have your memories divided into different sections (learning model of persuasion). To me, what I think, what I would recognize as a body memory is a similar sensation that they would have experienced at the time of the event, but they're having it without stimuli in the present (#1 sensory memory theory the learning model of persuasion).

Now you mentioned four processes and you mentioned cognitive and emotional, what other means?

"Yes, I'm forgetting what the fourth one is. I know there's four but I ..."

Okay, you've got cognitive, emotional and physical.

"There's a fourth one but I can't think what it is."

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"Oh God, I have no idea of even what that means. What does that mean?"

Well, I've read in the literature where they relate those two concepts or use them interchangeably and the theory seems to be that body memories, being stored physically, are stored on the cellular level.

"Oh, it's a physiological explanation for memory?"

Perhaps. I'm not sure that it really is, but that's the way it's used.

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"I think everybody does" (attentional bias).

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"I ask them to describe what's happening to them" (selective reinforcement).

Subject #25:

"It's memory that's hidden in their body and usually the mind usually comes before, often comes before the cognitive memory" (#1 and #6-nonsensical sensory theory; survivor logic).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"I suppose so. I really don't understand but the body seems to carry the physical symptoms often even when the mind doesn't know about them" (#4-Bass and Davis slogan).

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Probably 60 percent."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"They tell me."

Subject #26:

"A physical reaction by the body that has been repressed just as, uh, from memory by the mind" (#1- sensory memory storage theory).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"Uh, that's a good question. I don't know if I'd put it on the cell level or not.

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Sixty percent."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"Their descriptions, their physical presentation of that, both of those. Often most what it is, is a claim. They'll come in and start describing something and say this really weird thing happened or they'll start having an obsession as they're getting a memory" (traumatic reframing).

Subject #27:

"No."

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"I don't know."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Twenty-five to 35 percent."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"Self-report, shivering, non-verbal changes" (traumatic reframing).

Subject #28:

"Yes, it's my understanding that somebody may or may not have a clear memory of abuse but they'll feel it in their body (traumatic reframing). And usually the way I find, the way I can tell, well, one of the other things I left out is if they have body memories be that either pain or it could be sexual in nature and their body's remembering but their mind can't sometimes" (#4-variation of Bass and Davis slogan).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"Yes, I look at it that way. I mean, memories are stored and sometimes their consciousness doesn't remember it but their body, which has, you know, neurons and cells, remembers it" (#2 and #6-embarrassing attempt at a biological theory).

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Well, all of them that have been abused, uh, pretty much to one degree or another. Sometimes it's not as strong with some women but it can range from extreme uncomfortableness in being touched, which the body image therapist usually does that stuff to a full-blown feeling like it's happening."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"They get increasingly anxious. Tense, tight muscles, sometimes they can't move. They may experience pain in a part of their body. Sometimes they get sexual feelings when it's happening, well sometimes they can identify it. Most of them usually get sexual abuse and sexual but they don't identify it as such" (traumatic thinking).

Subject #29:

"The way I understand it, it's that sometimes trauma is held within the body and might not be conscious in the mind or the emotional body, but the physical body can respond to trauma and be holding the memory" (#6 and #2-mumbo jumbo; biological theory).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"For me, yes. Cellular memory I think is that, I think all of our patterns, all of the characterological, defensive patterns that we've developed to deal with are emotional, or physical, or psychological abuse or neglect, those patterns get stored as memory within all of the cells of our being. So cellular memory has to do with maintaining, you know, energetic patterns, whereas body trauma, or body memory might be slightly different in that. I see that as where there's a certain trauma to the physical body, the body actually remembers that and there might be hypersensitivity in that area, or if you stimulate that area the memories might surface."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Gosh, maybe 10 to 15 percent."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"I would say it's real concrete, if a client sometimes is extremely terrified when their partner touches them in a certain area or they relay stories of being touched in a certain way and it evokes memory."

Subject #30:

"Sure, that our bodies don't ever forget ( #4   The Courage to Heal slogan) and that the body carries sensations that if we pay attention to them can give us feeling labels and thought memories, feelings and thought memories, feelings and thought memories" (#2 and #6--incomprehensible sensory memory theory in therapeutic language).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"I don't know about cellular memories. Oh, okay, more the Jungian kind of view? It could, yes."

Could you explain how the body stores memories, because that's what the cellular concept generally has to do with. Could you explain further how the body stores memories?

"See, there's a whole new bunch of theories that says there's no such thing as memory. No, I can't."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"I would say all of the 5 percent that are sexual abuse survivors in my practice."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"Oh, they move. They either move or there's a motion of some sort" (#6-mumbo jumbo).

Subject #31:

"No, I can't put any of that into words this morning."

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"I've heard that theory before. I'm not sure that I agree with that."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Probably 50 percent."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"They usually dissociate. They often go into like a fetal position or some sort of a physical protective position. I guess they are like the two things I think of off the top of my head. They act younger. They usually regress" (inadvertent hypothesis)

Subject #32:

"Well, I believe that the body in terms of the muscle structures of our body, the skeletal structures of our body does have the ability to have imprinted memory in terms of pain, in terms of being touched and I believe that we are imprinted by touch, and as a result, I believe that there is such a thing as muscle memory, so when certain muscle groups are touched it can trigger the memory process, in terms of subconscious or unconscious recall of repressed material and that in terms of helping clients to recognize when their body is communicating something that often times it will represent something that's happened in the past, that's been cued up by either a touch, by either a smell, by either a familiar event or even a group of words" (#2 and #6-official sounding mumbo jumbo with the sensory memory trigger theory).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"I don't know about that."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"I would say that's 100 percent."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"They report usually a common pain that they've had a variety of times in their life that's been unexplained in terms of medical procedures or medical evaluations (#5- traumatic reframing). They will usually put their hand on the area of their body that they're experiencing pain."

When they do that, they're touching themselves, do you interpret that or do they indicate that?

"They, sometimes I'll draw their attention to what they are doing with their hands because it's usually an unconscious process in terms of touching themselves in a particular way and then I will ask them what  the touch is about" (selective reinforcement).

Subject #33:

"The most frequent time the issue of body memories comes up is when somebody is verging on remembering or they're believing that they're remembering and if they have a particularly eventful session where they get a memory or something happens, then I'll talk to them a little bit about what's normal. That their body might start remembering what happened to them and then give then some partial symptoms some probabilities and usually at the point at which I'm doing that they look very relieved because it's already started (therapeutic thinking; selective attention and reinforcement). And so, they have a sense of 'Yeah, that's happening.' And I tell them, 'You know, I'm not telling you not to go to the doctor, but just be aware that this is very normal and to give it a little bit of time before you decide that something's wrong.'"

Could you describe a little more how the body stores memories or how the body remembers?

"Sometimes I'll talk to them about how cells have memories and that it's very often where the person is traumatized will store memory (#5-logical fallacy). If they were held at the base of the neck, very often they've got neck and shoulder pain. If they were raped orally, very often they've got tension in the jaw area, so I'll talk to them about just very specific things like that but other kinds of body memories like nausea, headaches, those kings of things would again be the body remembering, but that's more a fear response type of remembering or the headaches are more of a blocking, you know, they had to block the memory" (traumatic reframing; selective attention and reinforcernent).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"Yes, but the body remembers just like the mind remembers" (#4-variation of Bass and Davis slogan).

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"One hundred percent, if they're working it through" (attentional bias; response expectancy).

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"You're asking me to describe intuition. That's one way. Very often they'll tell me. Sometimes I'll have a client on a first session come in and say, 'You know, I don't feel good. I'm nauseous. I have headaches. I don't know what's the matter.' And then, I'll just start questioning them, 'Well, you know, when have you noticed this before? Does it happen to you every year at this time?' Because sometimes a trauma will have happened at a certain time of the year and that time of the year will connect with a memory, kind of like an anniversary type memory. Usually they'll begin talking about it or like I said, if a memory comes up in a session, then I'll kind of tell them that there's a possibility that they may experience this" (selective reinforcement; situational demands).

Subject #34:

"Yes, if the feelings match the physical body memories, then we go looking for them, but I don't do it, they do it" (traumatic reframing; survivor logic).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept  of cellular memories?

"I'm not sure what cellular memories ... I don't know what you mean by cellular memories, so I don't know how to answer that question. Like in an NLP (neurolinguistic programming) forrn?"

Not necessarily, that seems to be entirely individual, everybody seems to have a different idea. Could you describe body memories a little more? Like how memories are stored in the body?

"Well, body memories that I thought we were talking about is when a client describes having either heavy pressure in a particular part of the body along with a feeling of shame or a feeling of excitement or a feeling of tremendous terror and for me, they don't work unless they come together. In other words, if somebody comes in and says, 'Well, I'm just experiencing a lot of vaginal pain,' then I say, 'Well, how does that feel?' and 'Well, I'm just experiencing a lot of pain,' then I say, 'Well, do you have any emotions around it?' 'No, I don't.' Then, I just let it go and think it's probably more about them looking for something than it is about what's going on."

Could you explain how memories are stored in the body?

"No."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Not that many. I don't know how to answer that either."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"It seems to be unexpected. It seems to be, comes on when they're talking about something specific that has something to do with it. They may be talking about an older brother that they've always felt 'icky' around and then they might start experiencing some pain. They might start flopping around on the floor. They might start yelling and screaming. They might actually go into a spontaneous regression and remember the act (inadvertent hypnosis). You know, there's lots of different things. I guess I'm extremely cautious with this and I don't go looking for those things. They have to present them to me."

Subject #35:

"A body memory is a memory without cognitive awareness awareness of its origin or ideology. It's consistent with some type of trauma where a person may have been forced in a variety of ways and physically held, pushed or subjected to some external physical coercion, such as a memory of someone's, a feeling like someone's hands are around her throat, or a sensation like something cylindrical as in her vagina, or severe lower abdominal pain, or low back pain which later becomes a memory of the person's father lying with his erect penis against her low back and those types of things" (#2 and #3-somatic memory and memory stigmata theory; traumatic reframing)

Could you tell me anything about how the body stores memories?

"In terms of physiologically, I do not know how it happens but I think just like our brain stores memories of virtually everything that's happened to us and much that we ve repressed, but are able to sometimes retrieve under appropriate situations (survivor logic). I think in the same way, apparently, the body has the ability to recall certain physical feelings and I do not know how that works. It seems to be a valid phenomena and is often triggered by certain events in the present that remind the person of some abusive thing from the past."

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"I have heard it said that, yes, I mean to a degree it does, that our body, our cells, remember what has happened to us and then some things that happened are remembered at a cellular level. It's a phrase that's used. In terms of, in medical, physiological explanation, I couldn't give you one."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Of my total clientele or of the ones ..."

How about both?

"Oh, boy, that's a little difficult to say. I would say that probably 80 to 100 percent of the ones who have definite memories of sexual abuse also have body memories. And of those who aren't sure, oh boy, it's just a wild guess, 50 percent or so of people who think they've, you know, have not totally ruled out the possibility of abuse but are wondering ought to have some type of body memory (attentional bias). Maybe it's higher than 50 percent. And of other people who I simply see, you know, I haven't paid as much attention to them, therefore they don't ask about it as often, so I really couldn't give any figures on that" (selective reinforcement; selective attention).

Okay, so it's not then as prevalent among clients who don't have a presenting problem or a suspected problem of sexual abuse?

"Right. It does not seem to be as prevalent. Some of that may be that my suspicion isn't as high and so I don't ask about it is all" (selective reinforcement; attentional bias).

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"I can't tell, but the client can tell. It's clearly subjective."

Subject #36:

"That a person will have, for example, feelings in their general area that indicate that their body is remembering something that happened to them earlier in their lives" (#6--mumbo jumbo).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"Yes."

Could you explain that a little more?

"Well, from what I understand, anything that happens in childhood that was not adequately resolved at the time gets stored on a cellular level and then is released when the person is either, well may be released when the person  is ready for it or may be released at other times when there are triggers that access that cellular memory" (#2- sensory memory trigger theory; the "safe to remember" theory).

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"Maybe 40 percent."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"I cannot necessarily tell unless they tell me."

Subject #37:

"To me, body memories might be something along the line of somebody watching a TV program and they have a certain amount of sensation, maybe pain and aching in the vaginal area and can't seem to figure out why during this particular program they're having this particular sensation and this comes up around certain themes, maybe around themes of violence, maybe around certain themes of aggression, maybe around children, living with children (#5-logical fallacy). So the concept of a body memory is like the body talking and a lot of times I believe that happens because certain abuse may have taken place before a child is verbal. So we hold the memory in an alternative form which is in the body."

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"I don't know that I understand what cellular memory is exactly. It's a little more new to me, and my understanding of it is unclear, so I guess I don't use the two because I don't understand cellular memory."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"I would say probably around 50 percent, maybe a little more than half."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"Report, self-report. Sometimes witnessing while I'm with them, different kinds of tremors and ticks, pain, grabbing a shoulder or arm repeatedly after certain discussions, talking about coming through in terms of flashback which is self-report" (traumatic reframing).

Subject #38:

"Some sort of physiological sensation that is often times emotionally overwhelming, that the client can't relay, uh, or is confused about. There's no explanation why they have a burning sensation or a stabbing pain in their genital area or something along those lines that appears to be a body memory, where their body is remembering something that their mind has repressed" (# 5-logical fallacy).

Could you explain how the body stores memories?

"My theory?"

Yes.

"I believe that if someone is young enough and they don't really have the language to communicate what's happened, I believe the body remembers and people don't always remember with visual memories, but I believe that the body-actually, I believe all of us, with all of us our bodies take in what's happening to us throughout the day, through stress or through emotional pain. I believe there's a real connection between emotions and physiological symptoms" (#6--mumbo jumbo).

Does the concept of body memories correspond to the concept of cellular memories?

"I don't know."

Approximately what percentage of your clients experience body memories?

"What percentage of my clients that have been sexually abused?"

How about both? The general client load and then sexual abuse clients.

"About 25 percent, I guess I'd say."

Okay, of the regular client load?

"Well, regular client load if they haven't been sexually abused, I wouldn't know if they are body memories or they are actually, I've had people have like carry symptoms like if somebody's husband had a heart attack, all of a sudden she has chest pains, but I don't think that's about memory. I think that's about something else."

So then in general, if someone hasn't been sexually abused, they probably don't manifest body memories?

"Or, they don't talk about it if they do."

How can you tell when a client is experiencing a body memory?

"Usually, well a lot of them will dissociate (inadvertent hypnosis). I mean, you can see kind of a shift, or a change, or they stop talking mid-stream and maybe they get flushed, or I've had some get really scared or start crying. Yes, usually, often times people will get really silent, like what's going on here? And I'll ask, you know, 'What's happening?' And sometimes they'll be like, 'I don't know what's happening, but I'm having this pain.' And then we'll work with that" (traumatic reframing).
 
 
 

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