Examining the zeitgeist expression 'the body keeps the score' and exploring our cognitive shortcuts. Additionally, I look into how metaphors can gradually morphe into their literal meanings and why it is a good idea
to keep that transition in check.
Recently, I had a client - whom I will call B. - who came to a session sharing how, a few days earlier, he had experienced an inexplicable heaviness in his body. He didn't understand why at first, but then he realised it was the two-year anniversary of a very sad event in his life. Later that same day, he spoke with his wife, who told him she was feeling similarly—lousy and strangely down for no apparent reason. When he reminded her what day it was, she, too, connected the dots. Then he looked at me and said, 'The body really does keep the score'.
B. is interested in psychotherapy, and he was referring to the ideas that were made popular in the book The Body Keeps the Score. To say that this 2014 book is extremely popular in psychotherapy circles is an understatement. In a nutshell, as the suggestive title implies, the idea is that when something difficult or traumatic happens to us, it is 'written' in our bodies, which 'remember' and 'keep the score.' While this might have been intended as a metaphor, over time it seems to have morphed into its literal meaning.
Going back to my session with B., I fully validated his experience, and we explored how it was meaningful to him. After the session, I began reflecting more on the literal interpretation of the phrase 'the body keeps the score,' trying to mentally unpack the implications of what that would truly mean.
I began wondering whether, based on my limited knowledge of biology, the body—meaning the tissues and cells—actually possesses such form of memory. If such a phenomenon existed, I certainly wasn’t aware of it. It started to feel somewhat similar to the idea of water memory (if you're unfamiliar, it's a concept that supposedly explains how homeopathy works).
Broken down in elemental units used for the logic deduction, it looked something like this:
B. feels particularly low, with a heavy, familiar sensation in his body
He then realizes that it coincides with the anniversary of a difficult event
He concludes that the reason he feels this way is because his body must be 'keeping the score'
Assuming there are no known mechanisms for the body to 'keep the score' in such a way, this conclusion would imply the existence of a mysterious and unknown mechanism in which that would be achieved. Yet, there is another, simpler explanation.
Indeed, B.'s experience can be explained by the brain storing the memory. The environmental cue (the date in B.'s case) might trigger an unconscious cascade of events, through the HPA axis for example, which in turn could bring on the physical discomfort (the heavy feeling B. experienced).
In this view, the brain keeps the score.
The Occam's Razor
The Occam's Razor is a principle in science and problem-solving. It states that:
When facing competing explanations, the one that makes the fewest assumptions and introduces the fewest unknown elements is the best.
Returning to our 'who keeps the score' example, suggesting that the body somehow keeps the score introduces unnecessary complexity by implying mysterious mechanisms for storing the memory. Instead, it makes more sense to consider that the brain, whether consciously or unconsciously retains the memory and, under certain circumstances, triggers an autonomic response that affects the body.
What neuroscientist says?
Later on, I realised, Lisa Feldman Barrett has expressed similar trains of thought - so I was quite pleased with my logical deduction.
Lisa Feldman Barrett is a neuroscientist who has turned the field of affective neuroscience upside down by questioning some of the core assumptions about emotions, such as the belief in universal, core emotions and their hard-wired expressions. She is a leading proponent of the theory of constructed emotions.
If you are checking Lisa's tweet, it is also worth checking the replies and reactions. They provide an interesting window into the common tropes present in the ongoing debate and reflect aspects of the zeitgeist.
Where do you stand in all this?
What do you make of this?
Is the body, through an unknown mechanism, keeping the score, or is it simply a metaphor for the brain actually keeping the score?
And going a step further in our analysis, why B. immediately chose that explanation-assuming the body keeps the score through an unknown mechanism-without first considering the more straightforward explanation?
Is it simply a matter of the availability heuristic? In other words, does our mind naturally gravitate towards explanations that are readily available in our awareness? The widespread media presence of the ideas from the book "The Body Keeps The Score" might account for that.
Or is it that as humans we are sometimes inclined to go with ominous and mysterious explanations because they provide a sense of enchantment in the world, which can be strangely comforting?
Before I wrap up, I want to say something very important...
I am acutely aware that this idea holds significant meaning for many people and resonates deeply with them. My intention is not to downplay its importance or diminish its significance. I am really just trying to understand. No stones unturned.
And if you think I might be overly finicky about what seems to be a purely philosophical distinction, here are a few thoughts on why I believe that, from the point of view of therapy work, this is more than just a epistemological nuance. As we work with clients, I think it is really important for us to try to understand, to the best of our ability, the origins of the problem. This understanding informs our choice of interventions, which ideally helps the client feel happier and more fulfilled as quickly as possible. In the case of the body vs. brain keeping the score, depending on where you side in the debate, the ways of working could be quite different. Which hopefully illustrates my point.
As always, just food for thought.
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Some additional resources:
I really appreciate your posts. I do some work as an advocate for people harmed by mental health systems, so my context is of a particular kind. I think the promise of neuroscience for psychotherapy is somewhat hampered by political issues related to turf wars between different 'tribes' of therapy. The NHS too has played a pernicious role.
This is a good summary of the main points of The Body Keeps the Score. There is neuroscience there, but the concepts that have grown from it are the focus. - https://www.myndlift.com/post/5-lessons-we-learned-from-the-body-keeps-the-score
There are still many who vehemently disagree that trauma has any impact on the body (or the mind, for that matter), wishing to preserve their domain as experts on analysing…
Thank you for yet another thought provoking article Ana. I have a few comments and then my views on this issue.
-“whether […] the body actually possesses such form of memory”. I’d say the body itself’s memory system is the immune system. Otherwise, from a molecular view, it would be important to consider DNA and epigenetic changes. From an epigenetic perspective, it would be interesting to look into that level of “memory” I think.
“the brain story memory”. I agree. For me it’s all about the conscious, unconscious, and state-dependent memory systems. (A book I am currently reading uses this article as a putative mechanism for state-dependent memory, which I haven’t had time to look into yet).
To answer…