"There are actually four, I think, predispositions of our brain that get us into trouble vis-a-vis trauma. The first one is very, very basic. It's something that we share with all other animals... the tendency to recoil from that which might be dangerous or painful."

Dr. Siegel adds, "All animals have an instinctual aversion to pain.

"Humans have particularly sophisticated ways of trying to avoid it, especially when that pain is emotional or psychological. We employ a wide variety of strategies to distract ourselves or actively push out of awareness painful thoughts, feelings, images, instinctual urges, and memories.

"But these efforts are usually only partially effective: When we bury feelings, we bury them alive.

"Disavowed mental contents are easily reawakened, and when they get close
to our awareness, we feel fear."

From article Mindfulness in the Treatment of Trauma-Related Chronic Pain by Ronald D. Siegel.

This is a brief excerpt from video presentation "Overcoming evolution in trauma healing" by Dr Ronald Siegel, PsyD at the ongoing Trauma Super Conference - featuring 60+ experts on the "impacts trauma can have and how to gain optimal health."

Topics include:
How human evolution predisposes us to trauma
How mindfulness practices help our healing and happiness
Why our relationships with ourselves and others are so critical

From Trauma Super Conference profile: "Harvard Medical School Assistant Professor of Psychology and mindfulness teacher Dr Ronald Siegel explains why humans did not evolve for happiness and what we can do about it...He is a long-time student of mindfulness meditation, an author of many books."

Programs by Dr Siegel include:

Healing Through Mindfulness: Effective Practices for Chronic Health Conditions
Audible Audiobook Or Audio CD from Sounds True.

The Science of Mindfulness: A Research-Based Path to Well-Being (DVD)

The Mindfulness Solution: Everyday Practices for Everyday Problems (Audible Audiobook).
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