Ep. 225: Dr. Peter Levine — The Transformative Power of Healing from Trauma

Think Act Be Podcast

My guest this week is Dr. Peter Levine, who is well-known for being the developer of Somatic Experiencing. He’s also the author of a new book: An Autobiography of Trauma: A Healing Journey (affiliate link), which we focused on in this very enjoyable and meaningful discussion.

Peter shared about how his own wounds from early in life were a big part of what led him into the field of trauma therapy. We explored how the healing continues, even now in Peter’s ninth decade.

Topics we discussed included:

• What Peter means when he describes himself as a modern “Chiron”
• Using our own wounds in life as we’re working to help others
• Getting to trauma memories and healing through embodiment in somatic experiencing
• The horrific trauma Peter experienced early in his life
• The dream that led Peter to share this book rather than writing it only for his own healing
• The significance of dreams for waking life
• Learning to attend to the promptings of the unconscious mind
• The relation between somatic experiencing and an approach like cognitive behavioral therapy
• The role of the vagus nerve in the trauma response and in healing
• Using the body to encounter our traumas in a healing way
• Why a union of the body and mind tends to reduce anxiety
• The disconnection we so often experience between our minds and bodies
• Peter’s reaction to a meditation workshop several decades ago
• The idea of “living your dying”
• Connections between death and the divine
• The promises and pitfalls of psychedelics

Peter Levine, PhD, is the renowned developer of Somatic Experiencing.

He holds a doctorate in medical and biological Physics from the University of California at Berkeley and a doctorate in psychology from International University.

The recipient of four lifetime achievement awards, he is the author of several books, including Waking the Tiger, which has now been printed in 33 countries and has sold over a million copies.

Learn more about:

• Peter Levine
• Somatic Experiencing
• An Autobiography of Trauma