2024.05.17 Exercise and clear thinking

The effects of EMDR are triggered in various physical modalities. Eye movements of all directions, hand, leg and arm tapping, buzzers, and probably other modalities are used with success. As if mere exercise is enough to allow the mind freedom to assess traumatic events in non-traumatic ways. (Although the beauty of EMDR training is in giving the practioner the insight to identify with the patient the feeling of trauma and re-experience it in some safe level of intensity.) The eye movements of the appelation are not a necessary component. It seemed alternating physical expression was needed to allow a dispassionate reapprisal of traumatic memories with subsequent reprocessing of the trauma into an objective recall without trauma overlay.

The underlying basis of physicality and EMDR may be explained by the findings of Kuwamizu et al, Pupil dynamics during very light exercise predict benefits to prefrontal cognition. The article correlates very light intensity exercise with a salutary effect on left hemisphere executive functioning.

There may be an interplay with hypnosis induction which was described by McGilchrist as essentially a left hemisphere activation event.