Echos of the Past: How Ancestral Trauma Manifests in Our Lives
Sometimes we carry a sadness that is hard to name. Old patterns that keep surfacing, even though we’ve done our inner work. Tension that lives in our body despite years of therapy and somatic practices. What if that pain didn’t start with us?
Ancestral trauma is inherited pain from our unhealed family line. It’s a concept that lives in the worlds of both science and spirit, and people are beginning to become aware to its presence in their lives. This kind of trauma doesn't always come from our own experiences, but from the emotional imprints passed down through our lineage. It can show up as anxiety, fear of abandonment, a struggle with self-worth, or patterns in relationships that feel deeply familiar even when they don’t make sense in the present. Imagine trauma as an object that leaves an imprint in the sand. Even when that object is removed, the imprint remains.
What Science Is Telling Us
Modern research is beginning to validate what many cultures have known for generations. Trauma can be passed down not just through behavior and environment, but through our biology.
Epigenetics is the study of how our environment and experiences influence gene expression. In the context of trauma, it means that overwhelming stress or suffering can change how certain genes function, and that these changes can be inherited. For example:
A 2015 study from Rachel Yehuda and colleagues found that children of Holocaust survivors showed alterations in the genes related to stress hormone regulation. These children had lower cortisol levels and changes in the FKBP5 gene, which affects how the body responds to stress (Biological Psychiatry, 2015).
Research on descendants of the Dutch Hunger Winter showed that people conceived during the famine had different health outcomes decades later, including increased risk for cardiovascular disease and metabolic issues (Nature Reviews Genetics, 2008).
Studies on Indigenous and African American communities reflect ongoing trauma from colonization, forced migration, slavery, and systemic oppression, with elevated rates of chronic illness, addiction, and mental health struggles (Brave Heart, M. Y. H., Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2003).
These findings tell us that trauma leaves a mark. Even when we don’t have words or memories for what happened, our bodies remember.
How It Shows Up in Daily Life
Ancestral trauma can manifest in subtly. People may feel it as a vague sense of unease or persistent anxiety. Others notice patterns that seem to run through generations—addiction, estrangement, financial instability, chronic illness, emotional repression.
Here are a few signs it may be present:
Feelings of persecution that do not match lived experiences
Feeling homesick or out of place no matter where you are
Consistent interest in stories from different times or places
Financial struggles that feel insurmountable
Intense emotional reactions to situations that seem out of proportion
A fear of abandonment or loss that does not match your lived experiences
Family dynamics that replay themselves no matter how hard you try to break the cycle
A strong desire to protect or fix others, even at the expense of your own well-being
Physical symptoms like fatigue, autoimmune issues, or tension that won’t release, even with rest or therapy
Sometimes it looks like self-sabotage. Sometimes it feels like a deep grief with no clear origin.
The Spiritual View: Memory in the Soul
From a spiritual perspective, ancestral trauma is not just genetic—it is energetic. Many traditions teach that we inherit not only our ancestors’ strengths, but their wounds. In Indigenous, African, Celtic, and Asian lineages, ancestors are seen as active participants in our lives. Their pain, especially if it was denied or unacknowledged, can ripple through the generations until someone chooses to heal it.
You might notice ancestral trauma surfacing as:
A pull toward certain lands, rituals, or spiritual practices that feel deeply familiar
A sense of spiritual mission that is larger than your individual life
Messages from dreams or meditations that reference family members or places you have never known
Emotional sensitivity around historical or cultural traumas that your family lived through
From this lens, we do not inherit these wounds to suffer them. We inherit them because we are capable of transforming them. Our healing becomes their liberation too.
How to Begin Healing
Healing ancestral trauma asks us to work at multiple levels. It is not only about understanding—it is about feeling, releasing, and choosing something new.
Begin by Naming
Often, just naming that something didn’t start with you brings relief. You might explore your family tree, listen to stories from elders, or journal about patterns you’ve noticed. If details are scarce, you can still trust the themes that repeat. The body often knows what the mind forgets.
Work Somatically
Because ancestral trauma often bypasses conscious memory, somatic and body-based therapies can be especially powerful. Modalities like Internal Family Systems (IFS), Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, and trauma-informed breathwork can help release what is stored in the nervous system. These practices allow us to witness and unburden parts of ourselves that have been holding too much for too long.
Create Rituals for the Lineage
You do not need to know every ancestor’s name to send healing backward. You might light a candle, write a letter, or build a small altar to honor those who came before you. Speak aloud to them. Acknowledge their suffering and their resilience. Ask what they want you to know.
Simple words like, “I see you. I carry this no longer. I send you peace,” can be deeply transformative.
Reconnect with the Earth
Many ancestral wounds are tied to displacement, colonization, or loss of land. Reconnecting with the natural world—walking barefoot, tending the soil, resting near water—can be a way of grounding yourself back into belonging. It is also a way of restoring what was lost.
Heal in Community
Trauma isolates. Healing brings us back into connection. Whether through a support group, a trusted therapist, or a ritual circle, find ways to be witnessed. Our ancestors endured their pain in silence. We do not have to.
You Are the Bridge
If you are the one in your family who is drawn to healing, there is a reason. You are not broken. You are the bridge.
In healing yourself, you bring peace to those who came before you and create freedom for those who will come after. This is sacred work. And it begins with listening.
References:
Yehuda, R., et al. (2015). Holocaust exposure induced intergenerational effects on FKBP5 methylation. Biological Psychiatry, 80(5), 372–380.
Heijmans, B. T., et al. (2008). Persistent epigenetic differences associated with prenatal exposure to famine in humans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105(44), 17046–17049.
Brave Heart, M. Y. H. (2003). The historical trauma response among Natives and its relationship with substance abuse: A Lakota illustration. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 35(1), 7–13.
If this resonates and you want to explore ancestral healing more deeply, reach out. This is work we are never meant to do alone.
Living Between Selves: Understanding the Liminal Space
Sometimes life feels unrecognizable, like you’ve outgrown something but the next thing hasn’t fully arrived yet. For me, it can feel like walking across a bridge that disappears behind me with each step, while the far side remains invisible in mist.
This is what we call liminal space — a transitional state where the old no longer fits, and the new hasn’t taken form. These periods can feel uncomfortable, uncertain, and isolating, but they are also sacred. They are where deep transformation happens.
What Is the Liminal Space, Really?
The word "liminal" comes from the Latin limen, meaning "threshold." It’s the space between two states of being. Not the past. Not yet the future. Just the now—suspended, fertile, and often disorienting. The threshold is a sacred space of opening and receiving, and is where we find deep truths that are otherwise hidden.
Liminal spaces can show up as:
Moving between careers or callings
Transforming relationships with family of origin
Shifting spiritual beliefs
Becoming a parent, or no longer being one in the same way
Loss of a loved one
Recovery from illness or trauma
A sudden internal awakening that changes how you see everything
During these times, the structures and stories that once anchored us no longer hold. We may feel exposed, or like our sense of purpose has dissolved. It’s easy to loose our way in this space, because when a person doesn’’t know which way is up, how can they swim to the surface?
Why It Feels So Uncomfortable
We live in a world that values clarity, productivity, and identity. Liminality offers none of that. Instead, it invites surrender, ambiguity, and trust. The discomfort comes from the in-betweenness—the fact that you can’t go back, but can’t yet see where you’re going.
Your nervous system may interpret this as danger. Your ego may grasp for control. But liminal space isn’t a void—it’s a cocoon. Something is forming inside you.
How to Care for Yourself in Liminal Times
Rather than trying to escape the discomfort, these practices can help you stay grounded and present as something new unfolds:
1. Rest generously
Liminal space is not lazy space. It’s energetic reorganization. You are integrating unseen shifts. Prioritize sleep, naps, slow movement, and gentle rhythm.
2. Name what is leaving and what is arriving
Even if it’s still vague, journaling what you are letting go of and what you sense may be on its way can bring orientation and peace.
3. Stay in relationship with your soul
Speak to your inner self, your intuition, your dreams. This is a time to deepen your spiritual practices—even if they change shape.
4. Talk to your guides or higher self
Ask for support, even in the silence. Trust that guidance is present, even when answers are not immediate.
5. Stay in relationship with the land
The Earth knows liminality. Seasons shift. Seeds wait in the dark. Touch the ground. Sit near trees. Let the natural world remind you that transformation is slow, steady, and not linear.
6. Don’t rush to fill the void
Let the new version of you emerge organically. Filling the space too soon may recreate something you were meant to release.
This Space Has Wisdom
Liminal space is not just something to get through. It teaches surrender. It teaches trust. It humbles the part of us that always wants a plan.
If you’re here, you are not lost. You are becoming. And this moment—strange and uncertain as it is—may end up being one of the most powerful seasons of your life.
You don’t need to rush. You don’t need to know. You just need to stay present.
And the bridge will carry you.
If you’d like intuitive support as you navigate this sacred in-between, I’m here. You can reach out at airimooersintuitive.com/contact. You don’t have to walk this path alone.
Therapy or Spiritual Guidance: How to Know Which Path Is Right for You
When you're feeling called to heal, grow, or reconnect with yourself, knowing where to start can feel overwhelming.
You might wonder:
"Do I need therapy? Would spiritual guidance help more? What’s the right step for me right now?"
The good news is — there’s no wrong answer.
Both therapy and spiritual work offer deep, meaningful support.
They simply offer it in different ways.
This guide will help you gently walk through the decision process and choose the path that fits where you are today.
First, Take a Moment to Reflect
Before choosing, it can help to pause and ask yourself a few simple questions:
What kind of support am I craving most right now? (Emotional, spiritual, energetic, practical?)
Am I needing help with emotional healing, trauma, or mental health?
Or am I looking for spiritual connection, soul-level insight, or energetic healing?
Do I feel stable enough emotionally to explore spiritual growth without needing clinical support right now?
There’s no right or wrong way to answer — just be honest with yourself about what you truly need.
Therapy: When You Need Grounded Healing
Therapy is the best fit if you are:
Working through grief, trauma, anxiety, depression, or emotional struggles
Wanting a steady, supportive space to heal old wounds
Needing help with relationships, patterns, or major life transitions
Looking for structured tools to feel more grounded and resilient
In therapy, we focus on your mental, emotional, and relational well-being.
We work together to heal the past, navigate the present, and build a stronger foundation for your future.
As a licensed therapist, I also honor your spiritual life if it’s important to you.
We can blend spirituality into our therapy sessions in a way that supports your healing — always within the ethical framework of clinical care.
You can learn more about working with me as a therapist at:
www.airimooers.com
Spiritual Guidance: When You Feel the Call of the Soul
Spiritual guidance is the best fit if you are:
Feeling spiritually stuck, lost, or ready for deeper insight
Wanting to connect with your intuition, higher self, or Spirit
Craving energetic healing, soul-level messages, or guidance for your next steps
Seeking growth that’s focused on your soul’s evolution rather than mental health treatment
Spiritual guidance sessions are intuitive, open-hearted, and soul-centered.
They are not therapy, and they are not designed to treat mental health conditions.
Instead, they offer a safe space to listen deeply to your spirit, receive intuitive insights, and connect with the unseen support available to you.
You can learn more about spiritual guidance sessions at:
www.airimooersintuitive.com
Important to Know: Choosing One Path at a Time
Because of ethical guidelines, I cannot provide both therapy and spiritual guidance to the same person at the same time.
If you are seeking emotional healing, clinical care, or support with mental health concerns, therapy is the right path — and we can weave your spiritual beliefs into your therapy work.
If you are seeking intuitive insight, energetic healing, or a soul-centered experience, spiritual guidance will be the better fit.
Choosing one doesn't mean you're closing the door to the other forever.
It just means you're honoring what your mind, heart, and spirit need most right now.
Still Not Sure? That's Okay.
If you're unsure which path to choose, that's completely normal.
You’re welcome to reach out, share a little bit about what you’re looking for, and I can help you decide whether therapy or spiritual guidance would best support you.
The most important thing is this:
You’re listening to your own inner voice — and that’s already a powerful first step toward healing.
You don't have to have it all figured out.
You just have to be willing to begin.
Ready to explore the next step? You can visit my therapy website for clinical support or contact me for spiritual guidance. I would be honored to walk with you on your journey.