Shempa revisited
I am often reminded that we store memories - positive and negative – with a variety of associations. For example, when I think of the term bath I think of a galvanized tin tub set in front of the kitchen wood stove which was used for heating and cooking. I also think of a stressed-out mother, dirty and cool water - unless one was lucky enough to be the first to bathe - the smells of cooking, the cramped space of a three-room house eventually containing 5 children and two adults. I think of body smells and, depending on the time of the year, particular chores. I think of the smell of the chicken house and occasionally the smell of fried chicken or a fresh berry pie. I think of the colors of berries or the particular blues, blacks and oranges of printing on flower or feed sacks. I think of the taste of fear - the fear of not knowing when some grave “sin” of mine would cause our mother to erupt in frustrated anger.
The one word – bath or bathe – can evoke a multitude of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings. On the other hand, if one uses the word shower many other, mostly positive, memories will be evoked.
We all have a multitude of memories stored with the sensations of our senses which accompanied or took place in the company of past experiences. At times. I can be walking along not consciously thinking of anything or an anyone. I may even be in an exceptionally good mood. All of a sudden, my mood changes without any identifiable reason. I might very well have experienced shempa. Something in my current environment has triggered a memory. Emotionally it may feel as if the situation in my memory is just happening or happening again.
A good cue that I have been shempaed is that my emotions are more intense than the current situation warrants. As I mentioned this can be either positive or negative emotions depending on which memory was triggered or hooked.
If I know that I have been shampaed I may be able to slowly bring myself back to the present. On the other hand, there may be so many intense emotions associated with the trigger that it takes some time for me to calm down. Any attempts of others to remind me to think logically may seem like a discounting of my feeling. If I am already having an angry response then I may get even more angry.
The sooner I can recognize that I am having a shempa experience the sooner I can gently, lovingly “just notice” what is happening. Any further comment might serve to feed the old emotions.
Shempa and PTSD have a lot in common although generally the term post-traumatic stress disorder is used solely when acute traumatic experiences such as a combat experience or past sexual abuse have been triggered.
On paragonroad.com one reads about shempa: “its’s something that gets under your skin, threatens to work its way into your mind and you can’t stop thinking about it. Once you’re on a role, letting it go is difficult…It can, if nourished, threatens to weaken your sense of mindfulness and destroy your peace of mind. ..Buddhist teacher, Pema Chodron suggests: Focus on your breath, take a walk, listen to some music, try to pry our mind away.”
Written June 26, 2018
I am often reminded that we store memories - positive and negative – with a variety of associations. For example, when I think of the term bath I think of a galvanized tin tub set in front of the kitchen wood stove which was used for heating and cooking. I also think of a stressed-out mother, dirty and cool water - unless one was lucky enough to be the first to bathe - the smells of cooking, the cramped space of a three-room house eventually containing 5 children and two adults. I think of body smells and, depending on the time of the year, particular chores. I think of the smell of the chicken house and occasionally the smell of fried chicken or a fresh berry pie. I think of the colors of berries or the particular blues, blacks and oranges of printing on flower or feed sacks. I think of the taste of fear - the fear of not knowing when some grave “sin” of mine would cause our mother to erupt in frustrated anger.
The one word – bath or bathe – can evoke a multitude of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings. On the other hand, if one uses the word shower many other, mostly positive, memories will be evoked.
We all have a multitude of memories stored with the sensations of our senses which accompanied or took place in the company of past experiences. At times. I can be walking along not consciously thinking of anything or an anyone. I may even be in an exceptionally good mood. All of a sudden, my mood changes without any identifiable reason. I might very well have experienced shempa. Something in my current environment has triggered a memory. Emotionally it may feel as if the situation in my memory is just happening or happening again.
A good cue that I have been shempaed is that my emotions are more intense than the current situation warrants. As I mentioned this can be either positive or negative emotions depending on which memory was triggered or hooked.
If I know that I have been shampaed I may be able to slowly bring myself back to the present. On the other hand, there may be so many intense emotions associated with the trigger that it takes some time for me to calm down. Any attempts of others to remind me to think logically may seem like a discounting of my feeling. If I am already having an angry response then I may get even more angry.
The sooner I can recognize that I am having a shempa experience the sooner I can gently, lovingly “just notice” what is happening. Any further comment might serve to feed the old emotions.
Shempa and PTSD have a lot in common although generally the term post-traumatic stress disorder is used solely when acute traumatic experiences such as a combat experience or past sexual abuse have been triggered.
On paragonroad.com one reads about shempa: “its’s something that gets under your skin, threatens to work its way into your mind and you can’t stop thinking about it. Once you’re on a role, letting it go is difficult…It can, if nourished, threatens to weaken your sense of mindfulness and destroy your peace of mind. ..Buddhist teacher, Pema Chodron suggests: Focus on your breath, take a walk, listen to some music, try to pry our mind away.”
Written June 26, 2018
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