- Updated on August 3, 2019
By Dr. Artour Rakhimov, Alternative Health Educator and Author
In this YouTube video, Dr. Artour asks Lynn Himmelman, NDT (New Decision Therapy) Master Trainer, to explain a difference between being a victim vs. creator, as effects of trauma.
In the video above, Dr. Artour Rakhimov first describes an increasing trend in spiritual work to think of a person as existing in one of two possible states – Creator or Victim. He asks Lynn Himmelmann: would a person suffering from trauma tend to think of themselves as a “Victim” of their past circumstances and also when in a “Creator” state are we more likely to be orientated towards the future?
Lynn responds that even while struggling with past trauma we can dance between the two states. Being a victim of a trauma doesn’t necessarily mean that your entire life is a mess and you are not achieving anything. She describes how she was at the time, outwardly actually quite successful but on the inside was unable to fully embrace her successes. Internally something still felt very incomplete and unhappy. This contrasted with some fabulous things she had created in her own life including her career as an opera singer.
Lynn responds that even while struggling with past trauma we can dance between the two states. Being a victim of a trauma doesn’t necessarily mean that your entire life is a mess and you are not achieving anything. She describes how she was at the time, outwardly actually quite successful but on the inside was unable to fully embrace her successes. Internally something still felt very incomplete and unhappy. This contrasted with some fabulous things she had created in her own life including her career as an opera singer.
She talks about her career as highly enjoyable on many levels and at the same time highly anxiety provoking. It is interesting to note that many singers in classical and popular music suffer from chronic hyperventilation which causes mental anxiety (panic attacks) and can also lead to a whole range of major diseases including asthma, heart disease, chronic fatigue, and cancer. There are many examples of popular singers who died young, (for example, Edith Piaf and Teresa Teng) whose untimely deaths were in part caused by over breathing and chronic hypoxia.
An emotional disease can be exacerbated by over breathing while singing and while experiencing physiological tension and exhaustion which accompany emotional challenges that have not been addressed. It is an example of the need to deal with life problems at many levels and appreciate the Mind-Body connection.
One common problem with “Victim” states is that it is often impossible to talk to a person who regards themselves as a Victim because they see their actions as justified by their victimhood. They may behave in negative, sometimes extremely negative ways, towards others and still see themselves as justified. In religious thought it can be compounded by a belief that the person is the light” and the “darkness” is external to them, often represented by other people or groups onto which it is projected. If these beliefs become circular and were established very early while the person was in a state of pre-rational “magical thinking”, it is very hard for the person to see any other way of being the world.
The state of victimhood naturally increases our breathing often causing the gradual development of hidden hyperventilation leading to low CO2 levels in the lungs and arterial blood with reduced blood and oxygen supply to the brain, heart, and other vital organs. This gradually causes the development of chronic diseases as a result of past traumas. With breathing retraining, students are also able to deal with effects of trauma, but the NDT is much faster tool working on body energy levels and through forgiveness.
Some abuse victims have undergone this type of programming and internalized it and become trapped by it psychologically. The New Decision Therapy is one tool that can be used to identify trauma that is deep-rooted and unconscious and effectively hidden from the person.
