The “Blowing the Memory Away Tool” is one of my favorite go-to tools for handling a response that is not triggering in the moment, but a memory of a trauma from the past. The tool empowers me to label the memory as a past event, dissociating it from the present moment. This shift in perspective aids in reducing the emotional potency of the memory and prevents it from re-triggering intense responses. In essence, it allows the mind to feel it has some control.
How the tool works has a basis in science and biology. Blowing memories away re-programs the neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers of the body, and in doing so, creates a different pathway for the mind to deal with negative memories. The technique showcases the profound connection between memory, triggering, and neurotransmitter responses. By reprogramming neurotransmitters and creating alternative pathways, this approach offers a unique method of emotional control and management of negative memories.
While blowing memories away should not be considered a substitute for comprehensive therapy in cases of severe trauma, it can be a valuable tool for those seeking to regain control over their emotional well-being after working on the initial trigger in therapy, journaling, etc.
This tool allows me to handle the issue in the moment. I don’t have to wait to work deeply into an issue if it’s already been worked out in therapy, and the past event is more of a fact, or echo of the past, than a trigger. It stops the event from re-triggering me because I’m able to label it as a memory, skip the trigger, and blow it away with pursed lips and a puff of breath.
