Can EMDR cause vivid dreams?
EMDR therapy causes a heightened awareness of thinking which does not end immediately when a session does. This can cause light-headedness. It can also cause vivid, realistic dreams. It often takes several sessions to treat PTSD with EMDR therapy.
Where are traumatic memories stored in the brain?
the amygdala
When a person experiences a traumatic event, adrenaline rushes through the body and the memory is imprinted into the amygdala, which is part of the limbic system. The amygdala holds the emotional significance of the event, including the intensity and impulse of emotion.
Why does EMDR bring up random memories?
EMDR seems to bring up totally random memories that have nothing to do with the reason you are seeking therapy. These are all things that have been stored in your brain, but that you haven’t really had any need to recall. It might be your Mom’s meatloaf when you were a kid. Or maybe your first bike.
Does EMDR have a ripple effect?
Accessing and processing a traumatic experience the client is currently aware of to some extent can lead the mind to bring up other memories which are in some way connected and allow processing of these repressed memories as well. In this way the EMDR process does have a potential ripple effect in several contexts.
Why do I have scary dreams during EMDR therapy?
EMDR Therapy jars your memories, and that often transfers over to your dreams. As part of the process, you may have an occasional scary dream, and often those dreams can be about the bad things that happened in the past. But don’t worry, it’s totally temporary. It’s just your mind’s way of moving you forward and helping you get better.
Can you still hear in your head after EMDR?
You can still hear if you choose to pay attention, but it’s no longer bothersome or annoying, and therefore its not real a problem anymore. Ask almost anyone who has done EMDR sessions about this and they’ll agree right away. EMDR gently impacts the neurons in your brain and this then brings old memories to the fore-front of your thinking.