How NASA, Trauma Responses, and Somatic Experiencing Changed the Course of Human Exploration
Over spring break, I took my kids to NASA. I expected rockets, engineering marvels, and awe-inspiring views of our solar system. What I didn’t expect was a reminder—right there among the shuttles and simulations—of how deeply Somatic Experiencing (SE) has shaped not just healing, but human progress.
As we toured the facility, this thought came to me almost like a whisper:
“None of this would have happened without the work you do.”
I stopped in my tracks.
Oh my God… I forgot about the story!
Legend has it that Dr. Peter Levine, the creator of Somatic experiencing, was approached by NASA decades ago with a very real problem:
“Peter, our astronauts can’t complete their work in simulations. Their fight, flight, and freeze responses keep getting activated. How can we send them into space if they can’t stay present in these conditions?”
Their survival physiology—meant to protect them—was interfering with the mission.
Soon after, Dr. Levine went on safari and noticed something extraordinary:
Animals experience trauma constantly, yet they don’t stay traumatized.
If they can return to regulation naturally, why can’t humans?
This question became the seed of what we now know as Somatic experiencing, a body-based, neurobiological approach to Trauma therapy, PTSD therapy, Anxiety therapy, and Depression therapy that is now practiced worldwide—including here in Palm Beach , Jupiter, Stuart, and across statewide Florida, as well as Virtual Florida and Virtual Connecticut.
How Somatic Experiencing Actually Works
SE works with the sensorimotor system—the part of the body that speaks in sensations, not words.
Instead of diving straight into the story of the event (which often retraumatizes), we start with the body:
sensations
activation
resourcing
expansion
release
We pair moments of activation with grounded, resourced sensations so the nervous system can finally discharge pieces of the stored survival response. This is why SE works so well for trauma that talk therapy hasn’t touched.
Clients often feel lighter, clearer, more present—not because they talked it out, but because their body finally completed what it never got to finish.
And NASA?
Because of Dr. Levine’s work, astronauts learned how to regulate their nervous systems during simulations.
Presence became possible.
The space program moved forward.
Somatic Experiencing didn’t just help people heal—it helped humanity explore beyond our planet.
If You’re Ready for Your Next Level
If you—or someone you know—feels stuck in old patterns, survival responses, or past experiences that still live in the body, SE can help you grow into the next version of yourself.
I offer Somatic therapy, Trauma therapy, PTSD therapy, Depression therapy, and Anxiety therapy in:
You can learn more about my approach and book a session at:
www.jennifergogginLMHC.com
