Hubbard didn't understand trauma very well, but to be fair neither did anyone else in the 50s. Dianetics is an early form of
Exposure Therapy which was very hit and miss. Researchers are learning that the resolution of trauma heavily depends on the skill of the therapist in judging the patient's response and keeping them in their
Window of Tolerance.
Hubbard thought that trauma lived in the reactive mind. That is kinda true (except for the fact that there is no reactive mind, and no, you can't "get rid of it"). Trauma lives in the
limbic system in the brain. Trauma is imprinted in the amygdala. I spose Hubbard thought that the amygdala was the reactive mind. Here is an excerpt from a very good article on it:
https://www.phoenix-society.org/resources/entry/calming-trauma-how-understanding-the-brain-can-help
UNDERSTANDING THE BRAIN AND BODY IN TRAUMA
Several parts of the brain are important in understanding how the brain and body function during trauma. They include the forebrain (the prefrontal cortex); the limbic system, which is located in the center of the brain; and the brain stem.
When a person experiences a traumatic event, adrenaline rushes through the body and the memory is imprinted into the amygdala, which is part of the limbic system. The amygdala holds the emotional significance of the event (the intensity and impulse of emotion). For example, if you’re on a roller coaster, your sensory information is “fear, speed, stress, excitement, not life threatening.” The amygdala can read the emotional significance of the event: “it’s a ride, it’s fun, you are done in 3 minutes.” The amygdala stores the visual images of trauma as sensory fragments, which means the trauma memory is not stored like a story, but by how our five senses were experiencing the trauma at the time it was occurring. The memories are stored through fragments of visual images, smells, sounds, tastes, or touch.
Consequently, after trauma, the brain can easily be triggered by sensory input, reading normal circumstances as dangerous. For example, a red light is no longer a red light, now it’s a possible spark. A barbecue had been just a barbecue, but now it sounds like an explosion. The sensory fragments are misinterpreted and the brain loses its ability to discriminate between what is threatening and what is normal.
The rational part of our brain is the prefrontal cortex. This is the front part of our brain, where consciousness lives, processing and reasoning occur, and we make meaning of language. When a trauma occurs, people enter into a fight, flight, or freeze state, which can result in the prefrontal cortex shutting down. The brain becomes somewhat disorganized and overwhelmed because of the trauma, while the body goes into a survival mode and shuts down the higher reasoning and language structures of the brain. The result of the metabolic shutdown is a profound imprinted stress response.
If you really want to understand trauma, google "Bessel van der Kolk" - a dutch psychiatrist who is the world's leading expert on trauma. His book "The Body Keeps The Score" nails what trauma is and how it gets "stuck" and what the truly effective treatments for trauma are. Peter Levine is also a trauma expert. He and Van der Kolk have co-authored another great book - Trauma and Memory: Brain and Body in a Search for the Living Past.
EMDR is considered a good treatment for trauma, but is most effective in handling single trauma events such as a rape or accident. It's not so great in handling
complex trauma (CPTSD). I know because I tried it.
Oh, and there is no basic-basic. No Clear (but you already knew that).
(Just conversation.)
