Implicit and Explicit Memory in Trauma and Healing
When we think of memory, we often imagine snapshots of the past—birthday parties, conversations, or the moment something painful happened. But not all memories work this way. In the context of trauma, it’s important to understand that memory exists on two levels: explicit (what we can recall and describe) and implicit (what is stored in the body and nervous system without words or images).
Both kinds of memory shape how we live today, especially when it comes to healing trauma.
Explicit Memory: What We Can Recall
Explicit memory is conscious. It allows us to tell stories about our past—what happened, when, and to whom. These are the memories we can share with others, write down, or revisit in our minds.
In trauma, explicit memories can sometimes be:
Fragmented: pieces of an event without a clear sequence.
Intrusive: vivid flashbacks that feel like the trauma is happening again.
Repressed or blocked: gaps in memory, where the mind has walled off unbearable experiences.
Explicit memories are what many people expect to work with in therapy, but they are only part of the picture.
Implicit Memory: What the Body Remembers
Implicit memory is unconscious. It doesn’t come in words or images but shows up in the body and emotions. This includes:
Body sensations: a racing heart, tension in the jaw, sudden nausea.
Emotional reactions: panic, shame, or sadness without knowing why.
Startle responses and reflexes: flinching when someone raises a hand, even if no threat is present.
For trauma survivors, implicit memory often feels like living in the past even when the mind knows you’re safe. The body carries the imprint of what happened, even when the conscious mind doesn’t.
How Trauma Affects Memory
Trauma often overwhelms the nervous system, disrupting how memories are processed. Instead of being stored as a coherent narrative (explicit memory), parts of the experience remain unintegrated—trapped as implicit memory.
This is why someone might say, “I don’t remember much, but my body reacts like it’s still happening.”
Healing: Bridging the Two
Trauma therapy helps bring implicit and explicit memory into dialogue, so that the body and mind can begin to work together again. This doesn’t mean forcing yourself to relive the trauma—it means slowly and safely integrating what was once disconnected.
Some therapeutic approaches include:
Somatic therapies (like Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing): focusing on body sensations to release stuck survival energy.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing): helping the brain process traumatic memories and integrate them.
Relational therapy: experiencing safety and attunement with another person, allowing new implicit memories of trust and connection to form.
Mindfulness and grounding practices: noticing sensations without judgment, building tolerance for the body’s signals.
Moving Toward Integration
Healing is not about erasing memories but transforming how they live in us. When explicit and implicit memories come together, the story of the past can be held with greater compassion and less fear.
Instead of the body pulling you into reactions you don’t understand, you begin to recognise:
“This is a memory, not my present reality.”
“My body is remembering, but I can bring kindness and grounding here.”
“I can choose how I respond, rather than being driven by what happened before.”
In trauma, memory can feel fragmented and confusing. In healing, memory becomes integrated—not to dwell on the past, but to reclaim presence, safety, and a fuller sense of who you are today.
