Definition
A somatic trauma imprint is threat load stored in body and autonomic circuits — the nervous system still bracing when the story says the war is over.
Origin
Trauma research distinguishes declarative memory from procedural and autonomic traces — survival responses that re-fire when cues resemble past danger. Clinical synthesis (van der Kolk) argues body-based regulation must accompany cognitive work.
Mechanism
Threat can install default hypervigilance, shutdown, or oscillation without the person choosing it. Talk that ignores autonomic state often re-traumatizes or stalls — titration and safety first (Mithridatisation).
Applications
When ambition or visibility triggers disproportionate body alarm, check for imprint versus present-moment risk. Pair somatic downshift with micro-reps before narrative reframes.
Sources
Cite
- The Body Keeps the Score. Penguin Books.
- Waking the Tiger. North Atlantic Books.
Related doctrine
Interoception · Tactical Stress