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This year has been a roller coaster of emotions and events. With a lot of incorrect information pushed to the masses to keep them asleep, in fear, and not questioning. In some ways, the world has reverted back to the atmosphere of WWII where they ratted on their neighbors and lived in fear because the propaganda at the time was pushed on them to have one point of view. If that point of view was questioned, then the consequences could have been deadly.

On the flip side of this coin we are also seeing a lot of hidden information about people, the past, and events, come to light. As this happens, we are each being called to process it, witness what took place, acknowledge the unintegrated trauma that is contained in our bodies and energy systems, and heal. I have been doing a lot of this since March and honestly, it has changed some of my feelings about the World Wars, the sacrifices made, especially by my those who were killed who have called out to me, and this work I do. It has taken months to integrate some of what I’ve learned and come to a place of personal peace. I thought I understood the historical context of it all, but I discovered there was more to the story that had been kept from the world.

Historical Context & Trauma

As I dive deeper into healing work and trauma work with my military research clients and writing groups, I am aware of the unintegrated trauma that lives within each of them. I also see how they are willing to explore the historical context of the past. In fact, this month I spent the Office Hours for my writing groups doing facilitation on energy and trauma healing. Individually, and as a group, they had reached a point in research and writing that was pushing them beyond the boundaries of where they had been and were being pushed to go deeper. To allow the emotions to surface. To start questioning even more than they had prior. To do the deeper healing work.

I have also observed how many 20-somethings and kids still in school are viewing the world and history. In speaking with one of my kids and observing posts by younger people on social media – it is clear that the concept of historical context has not been taught in school. If it has, then it was a 5 minute discussion. The majority of young people today are offended by anything that doesn’t fit within the narrow view of life they’ve been programmed to believe is real. They believe books and movies and music should be banned because it’s deemed racist – even if it was written decades ago. And they view history through their eyes today – if an event or concept doesn’t fit into what they’ve been programmed and manipulated into believing then it must be a lie or couldn’t have happened or shouldn’t exist. I have to ask, Does Historical Context Matter Anymore?

Ignoring the context of the past does not help heal the past or heal each of us individually. It only prolongs the suffering and pain and slows the change that could take place on the planet and in our lives.

Do We Need Historical Context?

I feel strongly we need to be teaching historical context to every person on the planet. We need to understand why it is important to witness the past through the eyes, rules, laws, culture, society, religion, and education of those times. The world functioned differently then. Values were different. Events took place that had dramatic impact on creating mass trauma for the collective, especially through the two World Wars. And after the war, people were encouraged to forget, shove it away, don’t talk about it. Definitely do not question anything that took place.

We need to be able to drop in and observe what took place in the past without attaching to it. Sometimes that is easier said than done. I spent many years crying, moving through deep emotions and personal trauma that surfaced from my life and from my ancestral lineage, and healing what was there. It was not an easy or fast process and as healing is a spiral, we are never done.

Trauma and healing are also an embodied process, meaning we need to be in our bodies and paying attention to what is happening inside. Through witnessing and observing where in our bodies we feel the pain or numbness or hyperarousal, we can begin to work with it and heal the trauma that resides within. Are we responding or reacting to what is happening outside us in the world or this new information we receive? The answer to that question shows us where we are functioning from in that moment – pain or healing.

We also need to teach historical context in the present and encourage people to look at what truly IS in this moment. Ask….

• Why do we have this pain or suffering or trauma being created right now?
• How have I as an individual contributed to the creation of this trauma?
• How can I as an individual help heal this trauma?

Healing with Historical Context

It has been a blessing for me the last several years, to be of service to clients who requested trauma and grief healing through the military research projects we have done together. One of the biggest factors to start the healing process or identify why a client was feeling a certain way, was to first look at the historical context of what took place that is creating the reaction in the client.

As an example, I had a client who became angry and upset when he read the research report and files because his father was given rights to his oldest brother’s remains and personal effects during World War II.

My first step was to explain the historical context. As the father/male head of the family, he had legal right as next of kin to make those decisions and receive the effects. This explanation opened space for the client to better understand why this took place.

My next step was to learn more about the client’s family and early life during and after the war to identify any other issues that may have created such a strong reaction. I learned quite a lot that gave me context.

Then we were able to do some facilitation and began to clear away old beliefs and feelings that were keeping the client stuck in a pattern of anger over the past. One of the gifts I have is to help clear out old energetic patterns and trauma, to help people heal. One step at a time. However, it began with historical context.

So what do you think? Do we need historical context any more? Should we be teaching this in schools? Should parents step up and take a more active role in planting seeds with their kids about context?

If you would like to work with me to explore and heal your family’s ancestral trauma, grief, and loss, please check out my facilitation packages and details. You can also email me to ask questions.

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