Oliver Williams - Psychological Trauma: The life work of Ivor Browne, M.D.

Psychological trauma is framed as an unexperienced experience that is locked within the body, effectively cutting off individuals from their full emotional self while the psyche remains in a constant state of defense to maintain homeostatic balance. This process forces the psyche into non-ordinary states of consciousness, where the full impact of the trauma remains trapped in somatic memory and inaccessible through standard cognitive processing. Recovery requires a safe and supported environment where these memories can be revisited rather than re-experienced. By entering non-ordinary states through practices like holotropic breathwork, trauma can surface for reprocessing, allowing for integration and the eventual release of the long-held somatic tension and emotional pain.