Healing Ancestral Trauma Through Psychedelic Therapy

Ancestral trauma (generational trauma) is a deep-seated trauma in which pain, fear and emotional wounds are passed on from one generation to the next. This can be the result of (female) oppression, religious influences, war, abuse, addiction, sexual abuse or other forms of trauma that become deeply rooted in the bloodline of families and communities.

Our ancestors may have developed strategies to survive, but those same strategies can show up in our own lives as limiting patterns. This can manifest as a deep-seated sense of insecurity, a difficulty in forming relationships, a constant survival mode, or a block to being your authentic self. Without realizing it, we carry the legacy of their pain.

Traditional therapies often provide relief, but psychedelic therapy is gaining attention as a powerful method for breaking these deep-seated patterns.

In this blog I take you into ancestral trauma and my personal healing journey within it.

Examples of ancestral trauma:

• War and Holocaust Trauma: Children and grandchildren of survivors may experience anxiety, depression or a sense of insecurity without having experienced the events themselves.

• Oppression of women: We have lived in a society with patriarchal structures for a long time, where men historically had more influence. Where women were oppressed, bowed under the influence of the expectations of the church and society. With the feeling of not being able to live out their authentic wild free woman.

• Family Trauma: For example, if parents are emotionally unavailable due to their own unresolved traumas (such as sexual abuse, maltreatment, or addiction), their children may see this as normal and repeat the pattern. Or they may experience a deep-seated sense of insecurity later in life and, without healing work, have difficulty walking their authentic soul path.

How can it be passed on? As long as trauma in the family is not healed, it is passed on from generation to generation. Parents will (often unconsciously) pass it on to their children. Until their children walk the path of healing and turn the 'key' to healing. Trauma is passed on by:

1. Behavior and Parenting : Parents who have experienced trauma may struggle with emotional availability or be overly protective.

2. Epigenetics : Trauma is stored in the DNA, which is passed down from generation to generation if not healed.

3. Cultural and societal structures : Systematic oppression and discrimination can perpetuate trauma across generations.

Breaking Through Ancestral Trauma Through Therapy

There are various forms of therapy that can provide deeper insight and healing in healing generational trauma. Forms of therapy include family constellations, body-oriented therapy or EMDR,

My embodiment is working with psychedelics. Psychedelics like psilocybin (the substance in magic truffles and mushrooms) help people to access suppressed or unconscious memories. This can provide insights into how certain traumas and patterns have been passed on within a family or community.

Many generational traumas persist because they are never fully processed. Psychedelic therapy can help release stored fear, pain and sadness, often leading to a deep sense of relief and liberation.

By becoming aware and feeling through you can start to let go of patterns of behavior and ways of thinking that are not in line with their authentic self. And with this start to write a new story that is more connected to your own authentic core;

We are born as a soul in the body of our mother. Because ancestral trauma is in the DNA and is passed on to the child, this trauma is also stored in our body. However, our soul is separate from our body and our soul wants to express itself with its own unique story in this world. That is why it is important to gain awareness of this and embrace the path of healing, if you feel the call.

My personal story in healing ancestral trauma:

Healing generational trauma for me was mainly about healing my ancestral lines and especially the female side. This means the mother line of my father and my mother. My parents both come from a very large family of 9 and 10 children. They were also strongly connected to the Catholic church. This means that they had to comply with certain rules and structures. During my travels with psychedelics I was allowed to see how their mother and grandmothers were burdened by social expectations of the church and society, working in a large family with children and many responsibilities. Resulting in the feeling of being 'trapped in a can of sardines'. There was little to no room for free expression and making your own sound, voice and color heard. My ancestors lived in a pattern where it was mainly about caring for others instead of caring for yourself from a deep connection with self-love.

I remember it well. Portugal, September 2024. I was in ceremony with a medicine man and woman, outside around the fire under the stars and the moon. I had been healing my ancestral lines for a number of years because I felt that I am a 'key bearer' and I held the key to heal this trauma for myself and the 7 generations before and after me.* I was called by my soul to go to Portugal and heal a deep wound here. *Working with psychedelics, which works on a cellular level, can have an impact up to 7 generations before and after you.

Back to the ceremony: I spent the whole night vomiting, sounding and moving all the trauma of my ancestors. What a release! As I was shaking around the fire to move and dance it all out, I suddenly got the following message:

"NOW YOU ARE READY TO WRITE A NEW STORY."

I felt an enormous earth energy flowing through my body. As if I was completely filled with power, life energy and cosmic energy. It was almost too much to contain! I felt that I had freed myself from the trauma that had been stuck in my body for so long! I was now in my true energy, deeply connected to the cosmos and the earth. I felt wow: it also takes courage to write the new story. This means that I am going to stand completely in my light and power! This means that I have to step out of my victimhood and completely 'own' the new story.

I felt deep inside that this new story for me is about letting my voice be heard freely and giving it free expression. I felt that this new story is about truly walking my authentic soul path without any adjustment for anyone.

Wow, this new story is big I felt. And it comes with a responsibility. I quickly saw myself sitting down on the mat again, making myself small. Because yes, somewhere it was also nice to keep myself small because I don't have to show myself. No no, said the voice of my heart. You are going to stand up, with your chest out and show yourself. In your light and your strength. You are much too beautiful, not to show yourself. The world needs your light.

And that night, under the stars in Portugal, I committed myself to writing my new story, deeply connected to the path of my heart and soul.

The phase of healing and writing a new story.

This process has 3 different phases: 1. awareness of trauma. This often manifests itself in the physical body as illness, burnout, disconnection with the self, depression or a feeling of being stuck in life 2. Healing from trauma. 'Feeling is Healing'. The trauma and the stuck energy in the body wants to be felt. Psychedelic therapy can help to open the subconscious layers so that the emotional world opens and this layer beyond the mental can be felt more easily. This is the reason why I also call psychedelics a medicine. This path is certainly not easy, it is for people who really want to take it on and this requires courage and guts to look and feel deeper. 3. Integration and the new story: If it is felt, we are not there yet. Now you can start writing your new story. Beyond the conditioning and patterns. Your story. And this story is different for everyone. This step also requires courage and guts to really choose the new connected to your heart. In my integration sessions I guide people on this path. To create a sustainable change in life with small concrete steps.

Scientific Research and Results

Research into psychedelic therapy has shown promising results. Studies suggest that psychedelics can help alleviate anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. This could be crucial for people struggling with the effects of generational trauma who have found traditional therapies inadequate.

Importance of Integration and Guidance

Psychedelic therapy is not a quick fix. It is essential to integrate the insights that emerge during a session into daily life. In my integration sessions I work with creative therapy to make the insights from the ceremony concrete and you can work on your new story in steps.

Conclusion

Ancestral trauma can be deep-rooted and persistent, but psychedelic therapy offers a promising path to healing. Through awareness, deep introspection, emotional processing, and writing your new story, old patterns can be broken and a new path can be created for yourself and future generations.

I am a 'living example' in healing my ancestral lines. That is why I feel the call to bring this work more out into the open. I am now in a place where I feel the support of my ancestors behind me. I feel that they see me, support me and carry me. That they honor me for the work that I do and have done. The work that they were never able to do, simply because they lived in a different time. I feel incredibly grateful for my path and the work that I am allowed to do. For myself, the generation before and after me and the people that I am allowed to guide on their soul path.

Are you interested in psychedelic therapy for trauma healing? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments! Or sign up for one of my ceremonies in a safe and intimate setting.

In love,

Karlijn