How Brainspotting Works: The Science Behind Eye Positions and Emotional Processing
Brainspotting (BSP) is one of the fastest-growing therapeutic modalities used to help people process trauma, anxiety, chronic stress, and emotional blocks stored deep in the nervous system. Brainspotting was developed by Dr. David Grand in 2003. It is based on the understanding that where you look affects how you feel, and that specific eye positions can access unprocessed memories and body-held tension more directly than talk therapy alone.
If you've ever had a moment where a memory hits you out of nowhere, or you felt something emotionally shift simply by looking at a certain place, you’ve experienced a glimpse of how this powerful mind-body connection works.
What is Brainspotting?
Brainspotting is a therapeutic technique that helps people process unresolved emotional experiences lodged in the subcortical brain, the deeper layers responsible for survival responses, automatic reactions, and implicit memories.
Instead of relying heavily on talking or conscious analysis, Brainspotting uses:
Eye positions
Focused mindfulness
Regulated presence from the therapist
Bilateral sound (optional)
…to uncover the “brainspots” where trauma, overwhelm, or emotional pain is stored.
A brainspot is a specific eye position that corresponds with activation in the brain and body. When people hold their eyes in that position, it can open the pathway for deeper processing, release, and integration.
Why Eye Positions Matter
Eye positions are not random. Neuroscience shows that our gaze direction is linked to networks of memory, emotion, and body awareness.
Researchers studying EMDR, neurobiology, and the visual system have shown that:
Visual fields are neurologically connected to different emotional and sensory networks.
The eyes access the midbrain, which houses centers for trauma and survival responses.
Looking in certain directions can activate or deactivate emotional responses.
This is why people often glance upward, downward, or to the side when recalling information. The eyes help the brain locate internal experiences. Brainspotting uses this natural mechanism intentionally.
The Role of the Subcortical Brain
Most trauma therapy today acknowledges that traumatic memories are not only cognitive, they’re somatic. They live in the body, muscles, nervous system, and reflexes.
Brainspotting specifically targets the subcortical brain, which controls:
Fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses
Emotional reflexes
Implicit memories
Body-based sensations
Automatic reactions
Survival circuitry
Unlike talk therapy, which engages the thinking brain, Brainspotting gives people access to the deeper layers where trauma is held. This is why they often describe it as going straight to the root of what they’re feeling.
The Subcortical Brain and Eye Positioning
When a person looks at a triggering or activating spot, the subcortical brain becomes more engaged. This facilitates the processing of:
Traumatic events
Old memories
Sensations connected to past experiences
And importantly, the activation is paired with the therapist’s grounded presence, helping the person stay regulated during the process.
How a Brainspotting Session Works
A typical session involves several steps, each informed by neuroscience and somatic psychology:
1. Identifying an Issue
The client brings up an emotion, symptom, or body sensation connected to what they want to work on.
2. Locating the Activation in the Body
Clients notice where they feel the issue—tight chest, heavy stomach, throat constriction, pressure behind the eyes, etc.
This step is key because Brainspotting treats the body as the entry point.
3. Finding the Brainspot
Using a pointer or slow tracking, the therapist helps the client explore eye positions until one spot increases emotional or somatic activation. This is the brainspot.
Clients may notice:
Stronger emotion
More body tension
More clarity
More images or memories
A “pull” toward a direction
Even small shifts can signal the right spot.
4. Processing
The client holds their gaze on the brainspot while the therapist provides regulated, attuned presence.
Processing may involve:
Emotional release
Insight
Body shifts (tingling, warmth, trembling, breathing changes)
Decreased activation
Spontaneous memories
Resolution or integration
Unlike other therapies, the client is not pushed to talk. The brain does the work naturally.
5. Completion and Regulation
The therapist helps the client return to a regulated state through grounding, reflection, or mindfulness.
Over time, clients often report:
Less emotional reactivity
Increased calm
Greater clarity about past events
Reduced physical symptoms
A sense of lightness or closure
The Science Behind Why It Works
Brainspotting is supported by multiple neuroscience principles:
1. Dual Attunement Frame
Healing happens through both:
Internal attunement (client’s inner awareness)
External attunement (therapist’s calm, regulated presence)
Brainspotting therapists are trained to track:
Micro-movements
Subtle emotional shifts
Muscle twitches
Breath changes
This attunement helps the nervous system feel safe enough to process difficult material.
2. Neuroplasticity
When the brainspot is activated, neural pathways related to trauma become more flexible. This allows the brain to:
Rewire associations
Release stuck survival responses
Integrate memories that were previously frozen
3. The Orienting Reflex
A deep evolutionary mechanism that causes the body to freeze and focus when something important is detected.
Eye positions used in Brainspotting trigger this reflex, allowing the brain to zero in on what needs healing.
4. Bottom-Up Processing
Traditional talk therapy is top-down—starting with thoughts and trying to influence emotions. Brainspotting is bottom-up, meaning:
It works with the body and nervous system first
Emotional and cognitive insight emerges naturally
This makes it ideal for trauma, anxiety, and issues that don’t respond to purely cognitive approaches.
