Two languages, one story: embodiment in traumatic memory narratives

Traumatic memories are expressed through both language and bodily movement, yet research rarely examines how these channels interact during recall. This study provides empirical evidence for the interplay of verbal and non-verbal expression in trauma narration. Fifty participants described a traumatic and a non-traumatic event in videotaped interviews. Verbal content was coded into five categories (actions, negative emotions, positive emotions, physical sensations, cognitive insights), and bodily expressions were grouped into three movement types (illustrative, unspecified, regulative). Results showed a distinctly embodied process: negative emotions were the strongest predictor of movement; actions elicited illustrative and unspecified gestures; and cognitive insights predicted unspecified gestures and regulative movements such as soothing self-contact, repetitive motions, or freezing. These patterns reveal emotional arousal and regulatory processes that may not appear in speech alone. The findings offer quantitative support for embodied approaches to trauma and highlight the clinical value of attending to movement during narrative recall.