You and I are no more than the descendants of those who survived.
Lluís Quintana-Murci
Human genomics and evolution
Collège de France, Institut Pasteur, CNRS
We are not a symptom.
We are a story.
Our genome and epigenome bear the traces of the experiences of past generations, and they can be disrupted by elements we don't even suspect.
In genetics, one of the most striking recent scientific discoveries shows that the survivors of the Black Death epidemics passed on to their descendants a mutated gene which today is associated with susceptibility to autoimmune diseases such as chronic inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease.
The traumas experienced by our ancestors (war, incest, famine, epidemics, bereavement, etc.) can also have an impact on us through epigenetics, affecting the stress response, metabolism and mental health of subsequent generations.
Until now, we thought the genome had the monopoly.
“Well, my score's not great, but I've got no choice but to go along with it”....
Well, it's not!
What counts is how you play this score (the epigenome). This score is written, modified and expanded from generation to generation. You have the power to “adjust the volume” or delay the expression of problematic genes. Everything you do to your body and mind will leave traces for you and for future generations.
The genome
The partition itself/physical.
All the genetic material that is encoded in your DNA - it will, for example, determine our physical characteristics and predisposition to certain diseases. The genome remains fixed, unchangeable (except for mutations).
The epigenome
The way this score is played.
It represents the genome's activity; it determines how your genome will behave. It's not fixed - it's not strictly passed on to you at birth, as it's reset at fertilization - but it will retain functional / reactionary traces / “reflexes” activated by your parents and grandparents.
We're all born with a “kit” inherited from our parents - a sort of family score that's handed down to you at birth.
In addition to this "biological kit" there are behavioral adaptations.
It is therefore the adaptive response of descendants faced with a traumatic event known or unspoken by an ascendant.
A significant event can disrupt the balance of a family system. Thus, when faced with a traumatic response/reactive behavior to a family member's trauma, everyone is forced, consciously or not, to adapt. And this can have serious consequences on the mental well-being of some members.
For example, a grandparent who has experienced trauma may adopt defense strategies, such as isolation, to cope. These reactive behaviors, observed/experienced/suffered by their children, can have an impact on them, who may develop adaptive behaviors, interpretations (rejection, abandonment) and so-called limiting beliefs, thus modifying their behavior towards their children. And so on for subsequent generations, influencing the way members relate to each other, even if the original reasons remain unknown.
Thus, several generations can be linked by emotional legacies and unconscious patterns, often without individuals being aware of them.
You are the result of a long history.
And you have a voice in it.
Until now, it was thought that the genome had a monopoly.
"Well, my score isn't great, but I have no choice but to make do"... Well, no!
Numerous studies show that our lifestyle directly influences our epigenetics, and therefore our health.
What matters most is how you play this part (the epigenome). This part is written, modified, and expanded from one generation to the next. You have the power to "adjust the volume" or delay the expression of problematic genes.
Everything you do to your body and mind today will leave traces for your future, for the next generation, and even beyond.
You are the result of a long history.
And you have a voice in it.
MOSAIC
Therapy
