“Where You Look Affects How You Feel”
“Where You Look Affects How You Feel”: Understanding a Core Concept of Brainspotting
One of the most intriguing and powerful ideas in Brainspotting is this: “Where you look affects how you feel.” At first glance, it might sound overly simple — even strange. But beneath this phrase lies a deep, neurobiological truth that helps explain why Brainspotting is so effective in treating trauma, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation.
So, What Does It Actually Mean?
When we experience trauma or intense emotional events, our brains often store those experiences in the subcortical regions — the parts of the brain responsible for emotions, instincts, and body regulation. Unlike our conscious thoughts, this part of the brain doesn’t process information through language or logic. Instead, it holds onto emotional and somatic (body-based) experiences.
In Brainspotting, therapists help clients find eye positions — called brainspots — that correlate with where these unprocessed memories and emotions are stored. Through careful observation of reflexive cues (like blinking, swallowing, or eye twitches), a therapist can identify the exact spot in the visual field that activates the emotional or somatic response.
When a person holds their gaze on that specific spot, it creates a neural access point to the stored trauma, allowing the brain to process and release it — often without the need to talk about the memory in detail.
Why Eye Position Matters
Think about how your eyes naturally look away when you’re trying to recall something painful or when you’re deep in thought. That’s not random. Eye position is deeply connected to how the brain retrieves, processes, and stores information.
By anchoring to the right “brainspot,” a person can tap into the emotional and physical roots of their distress — not just the story about what happened, but how it felt in the body. From there, healing can occur from the inside out.
The Power of Stillness and Focus
In Brainspotting, the healing doesn't come from analyzing the experience. Instead, it's about holding space, staying present, and letting the brain do what it naturally knows how to do when it’s given the right access: process and release.
This is why “where you look affects how you feel” isn’t just a catchy phrase — it’s a guiding principle grounded in neuroscience. It reflects how vision, memory, and emotion are deeply intertwined, and how healing can happen when we work with the brain’s natural systems rather than against them.
If you've tried traditional talk therapy and feel like you're only scratching the surface, Brainspotting may offer the deeper access point you've been searching for — simply by changing where you look.
