Are you looking on the bright side?

Your memories are stored in your eyes and a simple way to let go of negative memories.

Did you know that when you remember an event your eyes are running it through in the same sequence it happened? A study published in the journal Cerebral Cortex discovered that the brain and the eyes used the same sequence of connections and movements just as they happened in the original event.

Using the original sequence of eye movements and the brain’s original response all the different parts of that memory are condensed and connected into a replay of what originally happened

The various eye movement therapies such as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) and Rapid Eye Movement Therapy make use of the eye movements to help clear trauma such as PTSD

When working with clients with PTSD and trauma and those with and stress and anxiety I use various forms of eye movements to help release the memory of the original trauma and discomfort. This can be done with minimum need to cognitively go through the whole event which can often be very uncomfortable for the client. Our unconscious mind knows all about the traumas we remember, the ones we don’t remember and the ones we could never remember. So why not let the unconscious mind do the work?

I often notice how many of the issues we are experiencing are reflected in our language such as “If you keep looking in the same place you’ll get the same result”. So try this for yourself by thinking of a past event (choose something happy for this!) and notice whether you look down and to which side (left or right) you look.

Most of us, but not all will probably look down and to the left for what’s “left in our memory”. So if your preferred side is the left try looking to the right any time you find yourself thinking of something stressful.

When I ask clients to look to the other side and “tell me that story again” it’s amazing how many clients either find it difficult to verbalise their feelings from the side they don’t normally use. And often they can’t even tell me what the issue was!

So next time you find yourself stuck in a negative thinking loop notice where your eyes are and switch over to the other side!