Our innate information processing system wants to move toward healthy and adaptive responses like the physical body is geared to heal when injured.

For example, when you cut your hand, your body works to close and heal the wound unless something (like a foreign object or repeated trauma) gets in the way. If the block is removed, healing will resume. A similar effect happens with mental health. Some events become blocked or stuck by the impact of trauma, after which maladaptive responses may be observed (Shapiro, 2018).  

Disturbing or traumatic events are stored in the brain to isolate the event from other neural networks. This isolation prevents growth and learning. The trauma reaction toward the event prevents the event or experience from connecting with adaptive or valuable information (neural networks) to help build a healing context. In other words, “metaphorically, we can think of the reprocessing of an event as a “digesting” or “metabolizing” the information so that it can be used in a healthy, life-enhancing manner.” (Shapiro, 2018, p. 28)

When EMDR reprocessing begins, the isolated neural network gets a “do-over,” another opportunity to make the appropriate connections. While it can be difficult and cause discomfort to face the hurt of the isolated event again, going through the discomfort can result in coming out of the EMDR experience with more understanding and compassion for the context of yourself, the event, and your situation.