It seems that trauma can just as easily be passed down through generations as blonde hair or brown eyes.

Researchers at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich now think they have come one step closer to understanding how the effects of traumas can be passed from parent to child.

Researchers studied the type of microRNAs expressed by adult mice exposed to traumatic conditions in early life and compared them to non-traumatized mice.

They discovered that traumatic stress alters the amount of several microRNAs in the blood, brain and sperm . While some microRNAs were produced in excess, others were lower than in the corresponding tissues or cells of control animals.

These alterations resulted in misregulation of cellular processes normally controlled by these microRNAs.

“We were able to demonstrate for the first time that traumatic experiences affect metabolism in the long-term and that these changes are hereditary,’ said Professor Isabelle Mansuy.

“With the imbalance in microRNAs in sperm, we have discovered a key factor through which trauma can be passed on.”

After traumatic experiences, the mice behaved noticeably differently – they partly lost their natural aversion to open spaces and bright light. They even showed symptoms of depression.
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So does this mean your grandfathers’ traumatic war stories will forever stay within you?!

Not necessarily. Take a look at ancient scripture.

According to clinical psychologist and yogic scholar Richard Miller, the example of Arjuna undergoing the struggles of being a warrior who appears in the Bhagavad Gita is key in understanding that trauma and stress can be confronted and overcome rather than forever internalized.

At the beginning of the story, he says that Arjuna is in a moment of post-traumatic stress collapse. He’s unwilling to go to war and has collapsed in despair at the edge of the battlefield as he faces relatives and kin on the other side of the field. If you have read this passage in the Gita, you can almost feel Arjuna’s residual trauma in the flow of Sanskrit script.

Miller finds that it’s also interesting to note that each Sanskrit name of Arjuna’s relatives, whether they’re on his side or across the war field, represents a psychological state.

You could say that the entire Bhagavad Gita is really about how you confront your psychology and overcome trauma in the battlefield of life.

Of course as you maneuver through the front lines of life, you may still be worried about your sperm carrying it over to your future children anyway.

Close-up of the Bhagavad Gita

So what if you just….stop.
Literally, I mean stop.

“Sex Transmutation is the changing or transferring of one element or form of energy into another.” -Napoleon Hill

The act of sexual transmutation requires you to harness your energy into creativity and a higher purpose rather than lose it through sperm ejaculation. So essentially, you are redirecting the energy of your sperm.

In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali referred to this as a yama, a moral disciple, called Brahmacharya.

“Transform the sexual energy into spiritual energy. The stronger the force, the more can be done with it. Only a powerful current of water can do hydraulic mining.” -Swami Vivekananda

So excuse the pun, but instead of release, you would allow those swimmers to ride the powerful current of energy. It very well could change what resides as traumatic impression into positive and creative expression.

And that’s what it’s all about right? Being positive.

It’s no secret that positivity brings on happiness. Dr. Anjuli Srivastava writes, “Happiness has been correlated with better health, both in individuals and communities. Some studies have even suggested that states of happiness may be associated with lower stress-related hormones and better immune function.” She also agreed that happier people can live longer, healthier lives.

And that’s despite what may be passed down to you.

The key to changing your own genetics of trauma may simply be in an awakening of your internal state rather than a harboring of a negative past.

As Russell Simons quotes in his book 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success,

“Through your kind conversation, I’ve woken up and am conscious of who I really am.” – – Arjuna to Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita

Are you ready for your awakening?