Trauma is not always the result of a physical blow to the body. Sometimes, the brain reacts to an intensely emotional or frightening experience in a way that mirrors its response to physical harm. This article explores the hypothesis that psychological traumas can lead the brain to develop distorted perceptions of reality—perceptions that, over time, result in cognitive dysfunction, misinterpretation of events, and maladaptive behaviors. These distortions can disrupt the brain’s functional balance and derail the natural course of a person’s life, even in the absence of physical injury.
Since the brain is the primary tool for processing information and interfacing with consciousness, its entrapment in dysfunctional patterns may also trap awareness within those same faulty structures.
