Can Neuroscience Explain How Brainspotting Works?

One of the things I love about Brainspotting is why it works. I’ve always been analytical and like to understand how things function. The neurobiology of where in the brain we are accessing through the eye positions and the body sensations, and why this makes healing happen with Brainspotting, is fascinating to me.

While research is still evolving, neuroscience is giving us an increasingly helpful picture of why this approach is so effective.

It isn’t just about the experiences we remember

When we think about memory, we usually imagine remembering facts or telling stories from our past. This is known as explicit memory – memories that we can consciously recall and describe.

But our brains also store another type of memory.

Implicit memory is the name given to memories that are held outside of our conscious awareness. Rather than being remembered as a story, they are experienced through sensations in the body, emotions, automatic reactions or deeply ingrained patterns of behaviour.

For example, someone may know intellectually that they are safe, yet still experience anxiety, tension or a strong emotional response in certain situations. Their thinking brain understands one thing, while their nervous system is responding to something much older.

Traumatic or overwhelming experiences are often stored in this way.

Why Brainspotting works "from the bottom up"

Brainspotting belongs to a group of therapies often described as bottom-up approaches.

Rather than beginning with thoughts and beliefs, it starts with the body's experience.

This is because many emotional and survival responses are processed in deeper parts of the brain before information reaches the areas responsible for reasoning and language. These subcortical regions communicate constantly with the autonomic nervous system, influencing our physiology, emotions and behaviour.

Traditional "top-down" approaches can be extremely valuable for increasing insight, understanding and developing new perspectives. However, thinking differently does not always change the way the nervous system responds.

Many people have experienced this themselves:

"I know why I react this way, but I still can't seem to change it."

Bottom-up therapies aim to work directly with the neural networks where these automatic responses are stored, allowing the nervous system to process experiences that may never have been fully integrated.

The role of eye position

Brainspotting is based on the observation that where we look influences access to different neural networks.

During a session, we use eye position to identify a "brainspot" – a point in the visual field that is associated with a particular emotional or bodily activation. Holding attention on that point while staying connected to the body's sensations allows the brain to continue processing at its own pace.

Rather than analysing or forcing insight, the process relies on the brain's natural capacity to reorganise and integrate unresolved experiences.

The nervous system already knows how to heal

One of the core principles of Brainspotting is that the brain and body already possess an innate capacity for healing.

The role of the practitioner is not to direct that process, but to create the conditions in which it can safely unfold through attunement, focused presence and careful observation.

This is one reason Brainspotting feels very different from conventional talk therapy. Less attention is placed on finding the words, and more attention is given to allowing the nervous system to do what it has perhaps been trying to do for years.

As research continues, studies are increasingly helping us understand the neurobiology behind this process. The evidence so far suggests that Brainspotting engages the brain and nervous system in ways that are consistent with current understanding of how trauma and emotional experiences are stored and processed.

Related reading: [What is Brainspotting?] | [What Is Nervous System Regulation?] | [What Brains Studies Say About Brainspotting] |

Louisa Collyns is a certified Brainspotting practitioner working with clients in person and online.