DEALING WITH COLLECTIVE SHOCKS: How Neuroscience Help Us Process Traumatic Events
- Marcela Emilia Silva do Valle Pereira Ma Emilia
- Oct 9
- 4 min read
🧠 Dealing with Collective Shocks
Wars, attacks, natural disasters, massacres or tragedies that dominate the headlines — all these episodes leave marks that go beyond statistics. They reach something deeper: the collective nervous system.When the world seems to collapse, the brain reacts as if danger were right at the door. And even those who have not experienced the event directly can feel the effects — anxiety, anger, apathy, confusion. Neuroscience explains how the brain processes collective trauma, its neurobiological impacts and, most importantly, what we can do to go through it in a healthier way, promoting resilience.
🔬 What Happens in the Brain During a Collective Shock
Neuroscience has unveiled how these events affect brain structures such as the amygdala, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC), as well as the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and the autonomic nervous system.
The brain reacts to collective shocks with a cascade of activations. The amygdala, the nucleus of fear, detects threat and raises cortisol levels via the HPA axis — the same stress-response circuit triggered by an immediate physical threat — preparing the body for survival. This activates the sympathetic nervous system, speeding up heart rate and breathing. The hippocampus, essential for memory, is suppressed by prolonged exposure to cortisol, fragmenting traumatic recollections. The PFC, responsible for emotional regulation, is temporarily inhibited, impairing decision-making.
The activation of the amygdala, releasing cortisol and reducing the activity of the prefrontal cortex, compromises rational decisions and empathy. In collective shocks, this mechanism is amplified because the human brain is social: it “mirrors” the pain and fear of others.
Research in social neuroscience shows that witnessing collective suffering activates the same neural networks as those of the person experiencing the trauma — a phenomenon known as emotional contagion.
But the main warning comes from constant exposure to violent images and discourse — even from a distance, through social media, news outlets, television, films and games — which keeps the brain in a state of chronic alert. This can lead to emotional exhaustion, insomnia and symptoms of secondary post-traumatic stress.
🔍 Neurobiological Impacts of Collective Shocks
Collective shocks — natural disasters, attacks or social crises — trigger profound responses in the brain and nervous system.
A 2023 study by the World Health Organization indicated that one in five people exposed to traumatic events develops post-traumatic stress disorder. The effects of experienced trauma do not only impact individuals but also entire communities, and the continuous activation of the threat system creates a state of collective hypervigilance, generating mistrust, polarisation and heightened emotional reactivity.
At the neurological level, this reduces the activity of regions associated with empathy and cooperation, such as the medial prefrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex, making social dialogue more difficult.
In the peripheral nervous system, the balance between the sympathetic (stress) and parasympathetic (relaxation) systems is disrupted. Chronic violent events, such as wars, can lead to sympathetic hyperactivity, resulting in hypervigilance and exhaustion.These neurobiological effects explain symptoms such as flashbacks and persistent anxiety.
In contexts of conflict, even more care is needed: groups tend to reinforce their tribal identities, and the brain begins to distinguish “us” and “them” more intensely — a phenomenon linked to activation of the insula and the dehumanisation of the other. But there is another side: the same brain that suffers also seeks meaning and connection. The dopaminergic reward system can be reactivated by experiences of solidarity, mutual support and social reconstruction.
Example: After an earthquake, survivors often report “fragmented memories” — a sign of an affected hippocampus — and difficulty concentrating, indicating a compromised PFC.
🛠️ Biological Recovery and Neuroscientific Techniques to Mitigate the Effects
Neuroplasticity is one of the greatest forms of “magic” the brain offers — the ability to restructure itself and the nervous system after trauma. Neuroscience provides practical pathways to regulate the nervous system and restore balance following violent events:
Limit Emotional Overload
Reducing constant consumption of news and social media helps normalise cortisol levels.
Structured Narrative
Write or recount the event in sequence, avoiding intense emotional details to stimulate the hippocampus to reintegrate memories, counterbalancing cortisol’s effects.
Naming Emotions
Putting feelings into words activates the prefrontal cortex and reduces amygdala intensity.
Oxytocin Activation
Talk to someone you trust about your general feelings, without reliving the trauma, to release oxytocin, which modulates the autonomic nervous system and reduces the stress response, increasing the sense of safety.
To a new meaning Finding Purpose
Transforming pain into meaningful action (volunteering, artistic expression, dialogue) activates the reward circuit and restores a sense of meaning.
Mindfulness
Ten minutes a day increase grey matter density in the PFC and reduce amygdala reactivity.
Physical Exercise
Thirty minutes of activity release BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), repairing the hippocampus.
Restorative Sleep
Seven to eight hours per night restore balance in the HPA axis and the autonomic nervous system.
🔗 Examples and Further Reading
🧾 The Conversation (2023): How trauma spreads through societies
🧾 Harvard Health (2022): Collective trauma and brain resilience
🧾 APA Monitor (2020): The neuroscience of compassion in times of crisis
✨ Conclusion
Collective shocks alter the brain and the nervous system, but neuroscience offers pathways for recovery.
They test not only our emotional capacity but the very architecture of the human brain.
Science shows that even in the face of fear and pain, the brain is plastic — it can reorganise, heal, and learn to respond in new ways.
Techniques that modulate the amygdala, restore the hippocampus and balance the HPA axis transform trauma into resilience.
The key lies in recognising the impact, regulating emotions and reconnecting with others — because trauma may be collective, but so is healing.
Want to know more about brain and trauma?
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