The Body Remembers Everything: What is the Connection Between Memories and Physical Pain?

On days of remembrance, when emotions can overwhelm us, there are feelings that are hard to express in words. But what many of us do not know is that memory does not hurt only the soul; it also lives and breathes within our physical body.

Numerous studies have shown that deep emotions, especially those tied to trauma and painful memories, can also manifest in physical symptoms such as pain, fatigue, digestive issues, and even chronic illnesses.

The body, designed to protect us in dangerous moments, sometimes "remembers" what the soul could not fully process, and often, it can be very hard to let go of that.

So how does trauma embed itself in the body? Why do emotional memories manifest as physical pain, and how can we initiate a healing process? In this article, we will attempt to explore the complex relationship between the body and soul.

How Does Trauma Affect the Body?

Trauma is not just an experience etched in memory or the soul. When a person experiences a powerful event such as loss, threat, injury, or intense fear, the body reacts immediately. The nervous system enters a state of emergency known as "fight, flight, or freeze." Instantly, the heart rate accelerates, muscles tense up, and breathing changes — the entire body mobilizes to protect us.

In most cases, when the danger passes, the body gradually returns to equilibrium. However, if the experience is too challenging for emotional processing, or the protective response does not conclude properly, the body may remain "stuck" in an emergency state long after the event has passed.

This begins a covert process where emotional tension that isn’t released is stored in the body. Muscles tense, the digestive system struggles to function, and chronic pain or unexplained fatigue may occur. Indeed, the body continues to "remember" the experience, even if the mind attempts to forget.

On remembrance days, when conscious and unconscious memories rise to the surface, we might feel these symptoms intensify: pain, fatigue, physical anxiety. It's not a coincidence — it's the body's way of speaking to us.

What Does It Mean "the Body Remembers"?

When we recall memories, we usually visualize an image or even a short "movie" in our minds. But deep traumas aren’t merely imaginary thoughts — they are completely physical symptoms. They manifest in body sensations, automatic reflexes, and sometimes unexplained pains.

Research in trauma therapy, including Dr. Bessel van der Kolk's famous book "The Body Keeps the Score", shows that traumatic memories are stored in the nervous system, muscles, and even in body cells. The body "remembers" even when the conscious mind has already repressed the difficult events to a far corner.

How do we feel this in everyday life?

• Intense physical reactions to ordinary situations, like trembling, accelerated pulse, or shortness of breath.

• A sense of freezing or detachment during stress — as if something inside "disconnects" from reality to protect us.

• Emergence of physical pain, chronic fatigue, or a feeling of heaviness without a clear medical reason.

This mechanism was originally built to protect us, but if it remains active for too long, it can become a source of suffering.

It's important to understand: we are not "imagining" these symptoms. The body simply speaks in its own language, asking for help in healing the wound.

How Can Body-Mind Therapy Help??

When the body carries painful memories, talking alone is not enough to heal. Traditional therapies based on conversation are important, but sometimes additional interventions are needed. This is where body-mind therapy comes into play.

The goal of this type of therapy is not just to retell the story but to help the body release what it "remembers" and create new experiences of safety, calm, and control.

Some of the main approaches include:

• Somatic Experiencing: A body-mind psychotherapy developed to prevent and treat post-traumatic difficulties and chronic stress. During therapy, gentle work with body sensations is carried out to help the nervous system "release" stuck tension and return the body to a state of natural calm.

• Mindfulness Therapy: Developing conscious awareness of what is happening in the body at the moment, without judgment. Practicing strengthens the ability to be present with sensations, even when they are difficult, and to reduce the intensity of automatic reactions.

• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): A unique method that helps process traumatic memories so they lose their emotional and physical intensity.

• Work with Breathing, Movement, and Grounding: Therapeutic yoga, breath exercises, mindful walking — all these reconnect the body and soul, enhancing stability and security.

It is important to know: The process of healing the body and soul is delicate and slow. It requires patience, self-listening, and choosing therapeutic approaches that respect our personal pace. Sometimes, a small movement or one deep breath is already the beginning of a new life.

Don’t Lose Hope

The good news is that if the body remembers, it can also learn to forget the pain, or at the very least, heal it. The memories don’t erase, but the way we carry them can change.

Through body-mind therapy, the practice of conscious presence, and a renewed connection to the body, we can teach ourselves that the danger has passed and rebuild feelings of security, anchor, and inner peace.

Healing doesn’t happen in a day. It’s a process of listening, self-compassion, and gentle strengthening of trust in our body and soul. Even if the path is filled with ups and downs, every small step is a victory.

Especially on days when memories can overwhelm us, it’s important to remind ourselves: pain is part of our story, but it’s not the whole story. Within each of us lies the power to heal, grow stronger, and live a full life, despite and alongside the memories.