A trauma-processing technique done with a clinician while recalling a distressing memory and moving the eyes horizontally back and forth, typically for 30 to 60 seconds at a time. The side-to-side eye movements are used to help reduce the emotional intensity of the memory and support desensitization during exposure to the traumatic narrative.
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“In the last five years, there have been no fewer than five journals and papers showing that lateralized eye movements of the sort that I just did-- and if you're just listening to this, it's just moving the eyes from side to side with eyes open-- that those eye movements, but not vertical eye movements, suppress the activity of the amygdala, which is this brain region that is involved in threat detection, stress, anxiety, and fear.”
Andrew Huberman · Understand and Use Dreams to Learn and Forget | Huberman Lab Essentials · Dec 12, 2024 · 22:16 · YouTube ↗