Trauma Series: Why the Past Feels Like the Present
One of the most unsettling aspects of trauma is the way the past can intrude on the present. Survivors often describe being pulled back into terrifying memories through flashbacks, nightmares, or overwhelming body sensations. These experiences don’t feel like remembering—they feel like reliving.
Why does this happen? The answer lies in how trauma affects the brain’s ability to process time, memory, and safety. By understanding the neurobiology of traumatic memory, survivors can begin to make sense of why their bodies and minds respond as though the danger never ended—and how healing can restore a sense of the present.
How the Brain Normally Processes Memory
Under typical conditions, the brain has a system for organizing experiences:
The hippocampus acts as a memory organizer, placing events into a timeline and stamping them as belonging to the past.
The prefrontal cortex helps evaluate context, reminding us that the memory is over and we are safe now.
The amygdala provides the emotional tone of the memory—whether it felt threatening, joyful, or neutral.
Together, these structures work to create memories that are integrated, coherent, and located firmly in the past.
What Trauma Does to Memory
During trauma, the brain’s normal processing system is disrupted. Extreme stress floods the body with cortisol and adrenaline, overwhelming the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. The amygdala, however, remains highly active, tagging the memory with intense fear.
This leads to fragmented, sensory-based memories rather than a cohesive story. Instead of being filed away as “something that happened,” the memory exists as flashes of images, sounds, smells, or bodily sensations.
Because the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex can’t properly contextualize the memory, the brain treats these fragments as if they are happening right now. This is why trauma survivors may experience flashbacks that feel like a time machine pulling them into the past.
Flashbacks: The Brain’s Replay Button
Flashbacks are not simply recollections—they are reactivations of the trauma network in the brain. When triggered by a reminder (a sound, a place, a smell, or even an internal feeling), the amygdala lights up, sending the body into fight-or-flight mode. The hippocampus fails to provide the reminder that “this is in the past,” and the prefrontal cortex is overwhelmed.
The result is a powerful illusion: the brain and body act as though the trauma is happening again. Survivors may sweat, tremble, experience racing heartbeats, or feel paralyzed, even though they are safe in the present.
The Role of the Body in Time Perception
Trauma is not stored as a neat story—it is stored as a felt experience. This means the body often “remembers” before the mind does. Survivors may notice their body tensing, heart racing, or stomach tightening without understanding why. These physiological cues are fragments of the trauma memory resurfacing.
When this happens, the body does not distinguish past from present. It reacts with survival responses, as if the danger is immediate. This is why trauma healing must include not just talk therapy, but also body-focused approaches that help the nervous system relearn what safety feels like.
Why the Past Intrudes on the Present
In short, the past feels like the present because:
The hippocampus struggles to label traumatic memories as past events.
The amygdala remains on high alert, firing alarms whenever reminders are present.
The prefrontal cortex becomes less effective at calming fear and providing perspective.
The body responds automatically to stored survival states, reactivating fear long after the danger has passed.
These mechanisms are not flaws or failures—they are the brain’s way of protecting and surviving. The problem is that the system doesn’t turn off once the trauma ends.
Healing: Teaching the Brain and Body “Now”
The hopeful truth is that therapy can help the brain and body relearn the difference between past and present. By engaging in trauma-informed treatment, survivors can gradually reprocess traumatic memories and restore a sense of safety in the present.
Effective approaches include:
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): Helps the brain reprocess memories and file them into the past.
Somatic therapies (Somatic Experiencing, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy): Teach the body to release stored survival energy and recognize safety.
Mindfulness practices: Strengthen the prefrontal cortex’s ability to anchor awareness in the present moment.
Polyvagal-informed therapy: Builds capacity to shift out of fight, flight, or freeze and into calm, connected states.
Each of these practices helps re-establish the sense of “that was then, this is now.”
Moving Beyond the Past
For many survivors, one of the most painful beliefs is that they are “broken” for continuing to relive the past. Neurobiology tells us the opposite: their brains and bodies are doing exactly what they were wired to do—protect life at all costs. Healing begins with recognizing that these symptoms are not weakness, but survival.
And thanks to neuroplasticity, the brain and body can change. With safe, consistent therapeutic experiences, the past can be integrated as memory rather than relived as the present.
Taking the Next Step
At Dynamic Minds Counseling, we specialize in helping survivors understand and heal from trauma. By combining science-based approaches with compassionate care, we guide clients in reclaiming their sense of safety, presence, and peace.
Book an intake session today to start your journey toward living fully in the present.
Recommended Reading
Trauma and Memory by Peter A. Levine, Ph.D. – Explores how traumatic memories differ from normal memory and how they can be healed.
The Haunted Self by Onno van der Hart, Ellert R.S. Nijenhuis, and Kathy Steele – Examines how dissociation and memory intertwine in trauma.
The Body Remembers by Babette Rothschild – Focuses on the body’s role in traumatic memory and recovery.
Recommended Podcasts
🎙 The Trauma Therapist Podcast – Interviews with leaders in trauma treatment on how the past resurfaces in the present.
🎙 Notice That (Jennifer Savage & Melissa Sundwall) – Focuses on EMDR and practical tools for working with traumatic memories.
🎙 The Mind-Body Therapy Podcast – Explores somatic approaches to memory, triggers, and healing.
What’s Coming Next on the Blog
This post is the fourth in a series about trauma. In the coming weeks, we will explore:
Neuroplasticity and Recovery - All about your brain’s ability to heal and rewire itself