Summary

“Body-Brain Connections” opens with a quote from a famous drummer commenting on how all life is connected to rhythm. The author’s introduction to this chapter references research by renowned scientist Charles Darwin on experiences of emotion, all of which relates to more contemporary research into the experiences of those living with PTSD and the aftereffects of trauma. He says that examining the connection “between body and mind [and emotion] was largely ignored by Western science, even as it had long been central to traditional healing practices in many other parts of the world” (76).

In “Ivan Pavlov and the Instinct of Purpose,” the author discusses the work of scientist Ivan Pavlov, known for his studies of conditioned reflexes. Pavlov is, the author says, lesser known for research into “inescapable shock”. This research, the author then offers, led...