Anatomy of a Memory presents a picture of the world of trauma recoverery. Composed of light, animation and sound, it's design invites one to enter a space of fragmented photographic images projected on the walls accompanied by a soft humming sound, both of which change to more descriptive versions once there is interaction from a visitor. The analogy offered by this immersive space is to the presence of disturbing memories that sit in the recesses of our mind and come forward as emotionally laden flashbacks.

In trauma, the experience and knowledge of the traumatic event can be cut off from normal memory. This protective mechanism (dissociation) allows us to continue functioning through a state of shock. It is not unusual for this state of suspension to continue for years, at which time, recollections of the event return - not only as memory, but as intense and distressing emotions. When the images and emotions return they are as vivid as at the moment of the event, causing confusion and struggle especially if the event was completely 'fogotten'.

Trauma of many kinds: accidents, child abuse, violence, war, death of a loved one; share the same structures in our mind and body. Without some kind of healing, often assisted by a healing practicioner, people who suffer a trauma bear the consequences of that condition for many years, or for life. In some cultures there are effective ways of healing a traumatized person. These ways are not readily understood in contemporary Western culture. We tend to see the actions of the Shaman or traditional healre as ‘placebo’ or affectation of a condition that only exists in the mind that can be changed by shifting 'belief'.

As presently, we live in a time where intense examination of the process of dealing with trauma is ongoing, new understandings of how memory is stored, not only in the mind but in the body are coming clear. And most importantly, as trauma is a cycle that can repeat itself through our behaviour towards others and through complications within the self, we can now see ways to heal trauma more quickly, more efficiently and offer illumination to the survivor of trauma that not only allows them to integrate the trauma in to daily life but to gain insights, or wisdom through the process. As in many other areas of life, Western and Eastern understandings are beginning to inform, rather than challenge each other. The cycle of healing can replace the cycle of trauma. This piece is a window not only into the intensity of the traumatic memory, but the abundance of thought on the cycle of healing as seen through the eyes of those who struggle with and work with trauma daily.

On a social level, trauma begets trauma. When one is violated beyond the comprehensible the response can range from depression to anger, from suicide to violence. In the instance of a trauma, the dynamic of childhood sexual abuse parallels that of the shock of war. Regardless of the immediacy of our connection to these processes, we can gain agency and create change. Althouth initially an 'abstract' representation, the Anatomy of a Memory is didactic and educational on a subtle level. It proposes a philosophy of engagement with the darkness in our lives as a resource for growth and the building of consciousness. The emersive environment is a space where one can not only 'read' but 'feel' the presence of trauma narratives and explore possible resolutions.