spatializing trauma
an architectural exploration of lived trauma and reclamation of experience
Jessie Vargo m.arch 2019
“Everyone has a right to have a future that is not dictated by the past.� Karen Saakvitne
Jessie Vargo m.arch 2019
types of trauma Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
•Sexual abuse or assault •Physical abuse or assault
•Traumatic grief or separation
•Emotional abuse or
•System induced trauma or
psychological maltreatment
retraumatization
•Neglect
•Natural or manmade disters
•Victim or witness to
•Forced displacement
community violence
•War, Terrorism, Political Violence
•Historical trauma
•Military Trauma
•Victim or witness to domestic violence
•School violence
•Victim or witness to extreme (inter)
•Bullying
•Serious Accident, Illness, or Medical Procedure
personal violence
Jessie Vargo m.arch 2019 01: research
symptoms of trauma what does trauma do? what does look and feel like? Cognitive & Neurobiological
Emotional
•Memory lapses, especially about the
•Depression
trauma
•Feelings of despair, hopelessness and
•Loss of time
helplessness
•Being flooded by and overwhelmed with
•Guilt
recollections of the trauma
•Shame
•Difficulty making decisions
•Self-blame
•Decreased ability to concentrate
•Self-hatred
•Feeling distracted
•Feeling damaged
•Withdrawal from normal routine
•Feeling like a “bad” person
•Thoughts of suicide
•Anxiety
•An overproduction of stress hormones
•Extreme vulnerability
causing one to become jittery and
•Panic attacks
trembling, and have an exaggerated startle
•Fearfulness
response
•Compulsive and obsessive behaviours
•Alarm system in the brain remains “on,”
•Feeling out of control
creating difficulty in reading faces and
•Irritability, anger and resentment
social cues, misinterpreting other people’s
•Emotional numbness
behaviour or events as threatening,
•Frightening thoughts
difficulty sleeping, avoiding situations that
•Difficulties in relationships
Behavioral •Self-harm such as cutting •Substance abuse •Alcohol abuse •Gambling •Self-destructive behaviours •Isolation and withdraw •Choosing friends that may be unhealthy •Suicidal behaviour •Violence and aggression toward others
are perceived as frightening •Fight, flight, freeze response (which may look different from person to person) •Responses are involuntary
Jessie Vargo m.arch 2019 01: research
trauma and the brain what trauma does to the brain
These changes are important because they result in perpetuating existing mental health issues and symptoms of trauma physiologically, emotionally, and behaviorally.
the amygdala is a portion of the brain responsible for
The amygdala’s danger signals trigger the release of powerful stress hormones, including cortisol and adrenaline, which increase
the ‘fight or flight
the hippocampus is a portion of the brain
response’ becomes
responsible for regulating emotions. It
overly activated and
is mainly associated with memory, in
will grow in size from
particular long-term memory. The organ
experiencing trauma.
also plays an important role in spatial navigation. This portion of the brain shrinks from experiencing long term trauma.
heart rate, blood pressure, and rate of breaking, preparing us to fight back or run away.
Jessie Vargo m.arch 2019 01: research
neuroplasticity the brain’s resiliance to trauma Mental health guidance, talk therapy, experiential therapy, repeated behavioral changes
was: brains are static
theory
now: proven that we have agency over how we can make our brains function through different healing processes
healing neural pathsways
what is neuroplasticity? The brain’s physiological ability to adapt to new experiences and circumstances through creating new neural networks or discarding old ones
spatial connections
How can agency over our physiological and psychological selves be supported by physical space?
Jessie Vargo m.arch 2019 01: research
how design can help perkins + will, “Posttraumatic Understanding” 2014
The built environment may contribute to the healing of the psychological wounds of war* in the a ways:
1. A reduction in the cognitive load of an environment moderates the energy required to process, orient and navigate within a space. This ultimately renders more of the body’s resources available for therapeutic processes.
2. Reducing environmental complexity may also help prevent the patient from becoming distracted and lessens the probability of being unnecessarily exposed to one’s trigger, as this would ideally occur in a controlled, deliberate and constructive manner.
* survivors of traumatic experiences of all kinds can lead to post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD)
Jessie Vargo m.arch 2019 01: research
treatment paths spatio-visual approaches to alleviating the affects of trauma
Pesso Boyden System Phychomotor “PBSP” Therapy “PBSP is a highly structured group psychotherapy using body movement,
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing “EMDR” Therapy
verbal techniques and other elements. In what we call “structures” clients are assisted in developing role-played events, which are registered in the mind, as positive symbolic memories that offset the effect of literal, negative memories. In structures, clients organize scenes where they can: • Symbolically satisfy basic, developmental, maturational needs with roleplayed “ideal figures” who fulfill the historically unmet needs for place, nurturance, support, protection and limits • Create new symbolic events that offset the effects of traumatic histories •
Create need-satisfying situations, using ideal figures who would appropriately care for suffering members of their family network, whose stories of tragic losses had awakened their own heart-felt compassion to care for them while they themselves were still children.” (pbsb.com)
“Pesso ... as he called them, “structures” - of the protagonists’ past. As the narratives unfold, group participants were asked to play roles of significant people in the protagonists’ lives ... so that their inner world began to take form in three-dimensional space.” (van der Kolk, page 296).
“During EMDR therapy the client attends to emotionally disturbing material in brief sequential doses while simultaneously focusing on an external stimulus. Therapist directed lateral eye movements are the most commonly used external stimulus but a variety of other stimuli including hand-tapping and audio stimulation are often used. EMDR therapy facilitates the accessing of the traumatic memory network, so that information processing is enhanced, with new associations forged between the traumatic memory and more adaptive memories or information. These new associations are thought to result in complete information processing, new learning, elimination of emotional distress, and development of cognitive insights.” (emdr.com)
“EMDR ... focuses not only on regulating intense memories activated by trauma but also on restoring a sense of agency, engagement, and commitment through ownership of body and mind” (page 256). Jessie Vargo m.arch 2019
spatializing trauma
can re-imagining space bring agency to trauma survivors?
Jessie Vargo m.arch 2019
strategy approach for investigation and representation
research on trauma, spatio-visual treatment strategies, trauma recovery collection of spatio-trauma stories from trauma survivors translation of stories into image, sound, color, space representation and spatialization through diagramming with narratives and building physical models with projection of image/video outcomes viewers: awareness of survivors experiencing trauma, or relating to stories if viewers have experienced trauma survivors: reclamation of spaces and agency, part of processes toward healing
Jessie Vargo m.arch 2019 03: outcome
test representation
Jessie Vargo m.arch 2019 02: representation
strategy and production approach for investigation
01
collection
02
trauma stories from real people, professional therapist as advisor
03
analysis and synthesis diagramming spaces from stories, diagrams are compounded/collaged in avatar’s point of view
physical representation diagrams and selected physical models with projections representing the ephemeral perspective/psyche of the avatar
Jessie Vargo m.arch 2019 03: outcome
strategy and production final representation 20-30 progressively collaged diagrams final representation Includes a goal of (20-30) diagrammed spaces of trauma that are progressively collaged and (3-5) chosen physical models with video projections superimposed on them.
Will be paired with website that shows all diagrams and has background research on trauma.
3-5 physical models with projection Jessie Vargo m.arch 2019 03:outcome