Yes, the body can “remember” trauma, although not in the way we typically think of memory. When the body remembers, it is not with words but with sensory information. This includes body sensations, emotional reactions, urges, muscle tension, pain, nausea, startle responses, or changes in breathing and heart rate.
“Remembering” is the nervous system noticing some cue (trigger) which it associated with a threat in the past. The nervous system then reacts as though the threat may be happening again. For example, if you were harmed by someone wearing a particular perfume or cologne, your body might “remember” that event and react with fear or an urge to hide in the present if you smell that again.
This page is part of the Why Do I Get Triggered Without Knowing Why? section of the CommuniDID site, which explains how trauma associations form and why the nervous system can react automatically before you consciously recognize what caused the reaction.
Explore more:
- Questions about being triggered without knowing why
- You will find more about body memories in Body-Based Symptoms in DID
- Unrecognized Trauma Memories
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