This is posted in response to a question from a reader. I think it is an important question with much relevance to the individuals with DID as well as others with trauma in their personal history. Again, as always, I am retired and cannot give therapeutic advice for individual cases. My thoughts on this and other topics are intended to be suggestions that are generally applicable and something to perhaps discuss with your therapists.

In therapy for healing past trauma, it is often suggested that one use “imagery” or “imagination” to create a safe place “inside” for the alters. These can be visual, auditory (hearing), tactile (touch), temperature and kinesthetic (sensations that inform us of our position in space). In my experience the most effective cues leading to relaxation are using the temperature, touch, and kinesthetic modalities. In most cases, the least effective is the visual modality. Generally, we do not need hearing in imagination because we can produce sound, such as raindrops falling on a rooftop, from a music player – whether it comes from a record, CD or audiotape.

Instead of imagining oneself laying on the beach of a tropical island safely enjoying a protected holiday by utilizing visual cues of the white sand and the distant sails in the horizon, I would suggest that the person to imagine lying on the warm sandy beach (feeling the warmth on one’s back), and feeling the heaviness in the limbs and the backside as one is lying down after a long swim. It is my view that in seeing, one places oneself in the position of an observer watching something happening to another person. In concentrating on the sensation of touch, you become the person who is experiencing it.

I often sought to fully utilize the kinaesthetic sense in imagery to produce better results. One way is to imagine oneself lying on a mattress which is made of a huge bag full of little balloons. Imagine that the balloons are full of helium which is lighter than air, so that it is gently lifting you up in the air. Then imagine your legs are gently bending, flexing and extending all while being supported by the mattress holding you up. In your expansive imagination, you now are capable of doing simple yoga postures in the air because you are lighter than air, floating in the air. When you are imagining that, it is pretty difficult to remain tense. Fully using your imagination, give yourself the magical power to do whatever acrobatics in the air that you wish.

One can consider two different aspects to the sense of touch: external and internal. Externally, we have our touch through our skin. Internally, through our muscles and joints, we can tell if our legs are straight or bent, if we are bending backwards or curling forwards into a ball. We do not need our sight to tell us that.

So, I suggest that you fully utilize your sense of touch/temperature/kinaesthics with imagery; whether it is imagining that your body is feeling cool on a hot day under the shade of a tree or floating in the air. Pay attention to the bodily sensations of your breathing, the feel of the air moving in and out of your nose, the rising and falling of your chest. Bringing in a sense of relaxation, and most important of all, a sense of being in a safe place, you can re-learn what is it like to feel safe and enjoying the present moment.