Still, Nelson’s stance remains theoretical until further research can be done. This may cause you to attract more of that emotion, he says, creating a build-up or blockage. In his book “ The Emotion Code,” Nelson writes, “Each trapped emotion resides in a specific location in the body, vibrating at its own particular frequency.” While this is usually associated with a bodily location, Olson believes that everything is happening in the brain.Īlternatively, some believe that trauma and difficult emotions can, in fact, become literally stuck energy in the body, though this isn’t supported by scientific evidence.Īccording to Bradley Nelson, DC, trapped emotional vibrations cause surrounding tissues to vibrate at the same frequency, known as resonance.

Touch may bring up emotions or a memory may create sensations in a particular area of the body. “The touch to X area is simply a reliable stimulus to reconstruct the pattern associated with that traumatic event.” “Emotions are constantly being generated - subconsciously or consciously - in response to the reactivation of memories or unsatisfied goals,” Olson says. This may be because the brain associates this area with a particular memory - often on a subconscious level.Īctivating certain areas of the body may trigger these memories, according to Mark Olson, PhD, LMT, the owner and director of the Pacific Center for Awareness & Bodywork. However, the symptoms of traumatic stress can manifest physically. Though some may refer to trauma being “stored” or “trapped” in the body, that isn’t necessarily a scientific way to put it. Perhaps you’ve heard of people crying during yoga, massage, or acupuncture treatment because of a tender spot that, when activated, appears to lead to an emotional release. What does it mean to have ‘trapped’ emotions?

The body holds the score