We live much of our lives assuming that we are individual agents living a collective life. In healing spaces, we suppose that our grievances are our own, the sediments of our years on earth. As a species we have been so cut off from our incredible capacity for imagination1, that we often forget the intricate fabric of life in which much of what we carry as individuals is what we inherited from our ancestors. We carry their collective joys, and their disturbing pain. We carry it in our hearts, our minds and most of all, in our bodies. 

Epigenetic studies of famine conducted on mice show causal proof of the hereditary nature of trauma and its imprints on our bodies2. The transmission of these energetic fields of pain are, though glaringly obvious, not accessible to most humans. Perhaps we have deliberately and ruthlessly pruned our imagination so that we can be safe. Safe in the unexamined, the unfelt and the unknown. 

Yet, our bodies carry these legacy burdens. Alongside countless others holding space for ancestral healing, I see these burdens reflected in my clients’ lives over and over. Besides being imprinted in our DNA and our disease profile, the burdens might also be lurking behind the contractions and tightness in our muscles, the stiffness of our calves, the high pressure felt by our arteries, the irritability of our intestines, and the fragility of our tendons. Just as with creating a scientific mind, it is key to cultivate a healthy relationship to our imagination and to allow the experiential nature of knowledge to seep through. 

As we navigate this era of frequent political strife and intense polarization, it is becoming increasingly clear how burdens of different ancestral lines clash so loudly that even astute observers are left with no remarkable solutions to heal humanity. Everyone is hurting, and there is no sustained peace. You may see this as a call to open yourself up to the mysterious realm of ancestral pain. The path is deeply painful and soulfully rewarding.

References:

1Robert Sapolsky, The uniqueness of humans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ueJ69qtrKM

2Heijmans BT, Tobi EW, Stein AD, Putter H, Blauw GJ, Susser ES, Slagboom PE, Lumey LH. Persistent epigenetic differences associated with prenatal exposure to famine in humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Nov 4;105(44):17046-9. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0806560105. Epub 2008 Oct 27. PMID: 18955703; PMCID: PMC2579375.