Meditation, Mindfulness, and Trauma

I'm reading the book, "Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: Practices for Safe and Transformative Healing," by David A. Treleaven.  I'm surprised that this book is heavily politicized to the Left.  I had to sift through the political aspects in order to get to the real information.  

I'm not finished with the book yet, but if I report on the entire book at once, it will turn into a mega-post.  For the most part, I myself get turned off when I see a post that is really long, so this will be a series of smaller posts.  Some notes from the book so far:

One definition of mindfulness is:

"Paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally." 

Another definition: "The aware balanced acceptance of present experience.  It is opening to or receiving the present moment, pleasant or unpleasant, just as it is."

"Mindfulness allows for focus to be directed instead of scattered, so that attention does not have to be taken over by past traumas and associated stimuli with past traumas.  Mindfulness can enhance self-regulation - the ability to control emotions, thoughts, and behavior, if practiced with discernment."  

The discernment part means that it's possible to over-regulate emotions.  It's possible to take this too far.  It's possible to take meditation too far, causing adverse effects.  Those who are at the highest risk of adverse effects are those who meditate for several hours per day.  There are many instances of hard-core meditators who never want to do anything, who literally just stare at a wall all day.  There are also those who can become so disoriented that for a time after meditating, they forget how to function.  One instance mentioned by the interviewee in my previous post (who recommended reading this book) was someone not being able to tell if a red light means "stop or go" after participating in a meditation retreat.

Mindfulness is not the same as meditating.  Mindfulness is more momentary.  Mindfulness can be focusing on, for example, one's steps as they are walking into a store.  The book states that it's unlikely to have adverse effects from mindfulness.  It's more long-term mindfulness meditations that can become a problem.  However, those with strong past trauma(s) are more vulnerable to any and all mental practices.

Regarding past trauma, the book states that mindfulness can backfire, actually intensifying past traumas by focusing on them.  So, this can be tricky, hence the need for this book.  Those who have trauma are more likely to experience adverse effects to meditations.  The mind is quite vast and complex.  When altered, especially for those with past traumas, greater care is needed.

Some personal reflections:

There are those who say, "I forgive, but I never forget!"  Yet, forgiving is forgetting, because if a past wrong is not forgotten, there's no real letting go.  Why be stuck in the past?  Let all the traumas of the past go, and only keep the good stuff.  The Galactic Codex states that it's the dark forces who want humans to evolve from abuse and suffering - it's never necessary to evolve from abuse and suffering.  

Reliving past traumas only creates more suffering.  Letting go and being in the present moment can weaken the neural connections associated with past traumas.  

There is also forgiveness of oneself for any traumas committed against others in the past, and forgiveness of others who have committed traumas against oneself in the past, which involves the heart center.  This too is done for the purpose of letting go - release.

Is it possible to truly forget though?  Maybe not.  However, "I forgive, but I never forget!" has the negative connotation of carrying a grudge.  In order for true healing to occur, the memory of trauma is rendered inert, no longer carrying trauma into the present and future.  

The key is transformation.  Past abusers can no longer be abusers.  This reminds me of the controversial movie "A Clockwork Orange."  This movie is definitely not for the faint of heart, which explores the possibility of turning a thug-rapist into a compassionate human being through a special treatment that transforms him for a time.  

(Of course, the most hard-core abusers - the worst of the cabal - they are too far gone to transform, being only destined for the Galactic Central Sun.)

Past abusees can no longer be victims.  

There can be no true removal of the anomaly if victim-victimizer aspects remain in the surface population.   

(This post is already too long; I will stop here.)