Lifestyle
How the Brain Reacts to Trauma and Fragments Memories
Specialist Andreza Thans explains how sensory triggers and memory flashes act as the mind's defense mechanisms.
In extreme situations such as accidents, the brain processes and stores memories in a fragmented way. Learn how the traumatic core recalls physical sensations and why forgetting parts of the event serves as a survival mechanism.
Going through a life-threatening experience leaves deep marks on both mind and body. When a terrifying situation occurs, the way we store and revisit those memories defies the linearity of an ordinary story, revealing remarkable biological and emotional preservation strategies.
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Triggering the Traumatic Core and Sensory Memories
When treating patients who have survived car accidents, specialist Andreza Thans points out that activating the so-called traumatic core brings intense, specific sensory stimuli to the surface. The brain captures and records the surroundings vividly: a person might distinctly relive the smell of burning asphalt or the screech of tires right at the moment of impact.
Memory Fragmentation as a Defense Mechanism
These memories rarely unfold like a continuous film; instead, they are cut into isolated scenes and flashes. Many victims report remembering only the moment the vehicle began to roll over, with no recollection of what happened immediately afterward.
According to Thans, this fragmentation serves as an essential mental defense against the sheer terror of death. If the brain attempted to record and process every detail of the chaos and suffering without these cuts, the person's psychological integrity would collapse. Forgetting parts of what happened is actually the brain's way of protecting the victim.
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