The Way Out: A Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven Approach to Healing Chronic Pain

One thing that helped with somatic tracking was changing the language that I used. When I thought of it as “pain,” that felt like something I needed to get rid of. I started thinking of it as just “a sensation,” and that helped me feel like I didn’t have to fix it.

The next time my back hurt, I tried somatic tracking. But this time something was different. I had a clear goal: I wanted the pain to go away. I was no longer exploring the sensation with authentic curiosity. I was no longer enjoying the experience. I was frustrated and impatient and definitely not feeling like a Jedi. And the pain persisted. In th

The first component of somatic tracking is mindfulness. Many people associate mindfulness with meditation or Eastern philosophy, but it’s actually quite simple. Jon Kabat-Zinn, who helped popularize mindfulness in the West, defines it as “paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” And that’s exactly what Janet is doing

“Safety” is our watchword. I want you to always keep safety in mind as you do your own somatic tracking. Every component of somatic tracking is designed to reduce feelings of danger and foster a sense of safety. Mindfulness is a way to view your pain without judgment or fear. Safety reappraisal reminds your brain that these sensations aren’t danger

That’s outcome independence—when we’re able to feel successful regardless of the outcome. The doing is more important than the result. And we want to approach somatic tracking the same way.

Me: You’re just watching your back to see what happens. You’re just an observer. These are completely safe sensations. Your brain may misinterpret them as pain sometimes, but they are safe. What do you notice happening in your back? Janet: It’s not pulsing anymore. It’s steadier. And still more spread out. It hurts less than before. Me: That’s grea

Our goal is to pay attention to the pain without fear. But that can be hard when we’ve feared the pain for so long. The second component of somatic tracking is sending messages of safety to your brain. This technique, known as safety reappraisal, has been shown by scientists to significantly decrease fear.

When you pay attention to your pain mindfully, you’re observing it without fear. Neuroscientists have shown that mindfulness increases feelings of safety by deactivating the brain’s fear circuits. This disrupts the pain-fear cycle and helps your brain interpret signals properly.

Okay, that’s actually a good thing, because we want to explore your pain. So I’d like you to get comfortable . . . close your eyes . . . and bring your attention to your back. All we’re doing is exploring the sensation of pain in your back. You don’t need to get rid of the pain, you don’t need to change it—you just need to observe it.

Paying attention with lightness is an important component of somatic tracking. Scientists study positive affect by having subjects look at happy images, watch funny videos, or listen to joyful music. Experiments like this show that when people’s moods are lightened, they are better at overcoming pain-related fear.