WHAT ARE BODY MEMORIES?
Some patients have tried to explain their physical distress as coming from repressed “body memories” of incest. Therapists have told patients that “the body remembers what the mind forgets,” that many physical sensations are symptoms of forgotten childhood sexual mistreatment, and that memories are recorded in cellular DNA. Because of such beliefs, some therapists have recommended massage therapy and other physical techniques to help patients “access” abuse memories. Absolutely no scientific evidence supports these notions and practices. Rather, memories are encoded and stored in specific regions of the brain, and memory retrieval takes place in various brain structures. A physical pain or sensation is not proof that abuse occurred.
