Once you understand the primary assumption of EMDR therapy*—that the way we react to things in the present is affected by our maladaptively processed memories of experiences in the past—we begin to see examples of it everywhere.
Here are a couple examples in popular movies that illustrate how our current symptoms or negative patterns may reveal that “the past is present” with us.
In the movie Wreck it Ralph the character Calhoun abbreacts to Fix It Felix’s compliment that she is a “dynamite gal”.
In a similar way, many people find that the way they react to someone (a partner, a co-worker, etc) has less to do about the specific things said or done in the present and more about the how those things trigger painful memories from their past.
In the movie Finding Nemo Marlin experiences a traumatic event that effects his ability to accurately assess threat and results in a pattern of anxious helicopter parenting. During the course of the movie Marlin experiences several opportunities where he is forced to face his worst fears in a therapeutic way, including trusting his child’s development and growth.
Like Marlin many people’s traumatic experiences affect how safe they feel day-to-day. Many people become hyper-aware of threat because of painful experiences in their past. This affects their level of anxiety and how they navigate their personal relationships.
[Now I have to give a disclaimer about my last example. I am fully aware that Disney’s The Kid may not be your thing. But this is an example of how one man’s trash is another man’s treasure :) I don’t just “put up” with the the cheesiness of this movie I revel in it. I love every cheesy, cutesy moment in it and I especially love the kid they got to play in it. I just have to say that. Now, on to application...]
In a weird way Disney’s The Kid is the ultimate example of how EMDR therapy works. I mean the whole movie. In the movie Bruce Willis plays a 40 year-old man who’s childhood self tangibly manifests in his life. Over the course of the movie they try to figure out why he (the Kid) is there and how to get him (the kid version of him) back home.
Why is this movie such a powerful example of the EMDR perspective? Because many people figuratively find their “younger self” manifesting in their present lives. Unresolved conflicts, fears, and traumas bring our younger self to the table with all their unresolved issues and insecurities. And just like in the movie these encounters with our younger selves challenge us to discover and reprocess those moments in our past where we first got “stuck”.
Well, there you have it. A couple examples of how the EMDR perspective is all around us. What about you? What examples of someone’s past negatively affecting the present have you noticed in movies or television? What movie or television characters demonstrate that “the past is present”?
*To learn more about EMDR Therapy read “The Past is Present — An Introduction to EMDR”
https://nelsonmiked.wixsite.com/michaeldnelson/blog/the-past-is-present-an-introduction-to-emdr
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