Reprocess Past Traumatic Memories

The eye movements in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing [EMDR] are designed to activate the innate processing system.

Our brains have a natural inborn adaptive system for processing disturbing life events and experiences.  That system allows us to take what we need for learning, growth, and wisdom and dump or let go of the rest.  Sometimes disturbing experiences that we have can overwhelm the natural processing system or at the time of the experience you don’t have the more adaptive information that you need to really make sense of what is going on from a healthy perspective.  In those cases our brains and bodies can hold onto the different parts of the experience in very vivid form, the smells, sounds, thoughts, or beliefs, emotions, or body sensations.  Those can get triggered by similar experiences or reminders that feel the same in our daily life.  That is when we can have that out of proportion or intense reaction that may catch us off guard.  The eye movements that we might do or different forms of stimulation in EMDR are designed to activate that innate processing system.