Mark Wolynn’s book It Didn’t Begin With You explores the concept that individuals carry the emotional imprints of previous generations, a notion also reflected in Buddhist teachings on interconnectedness. Modern psychology, through ideas like Daniel Siegel’s “Interpersonal Neurobiology” and the study of epigenetics, supports this by showing how experiences of trauma can alter gene expression and pass these modifications down through generations. This perspective reframes mental health issues like anxiety and depression as adaptive responses to inherited trauma, highlighting the profound impact of our ancestors’ experiences and the possibility of healing through nurturing environments and conscious self-care.
The Gift of the Wound: Discovering the Gift Within Ancestral Trauma
In my Compassionate Inquiry training I was introduced to a book by family constellation therapist Mark Wolynn called It Didn’t Begin With You. The premise of the book is that we are not isolated beings. This premise is not new, it’s as old as the Buddha, who pointed this out over 2,500 years ago when he taught that everything arises in relation to everything else—a concept he called ‘The interconnected co-arising of phenomena.’ Just as a single leaf contains the sun, earth, water, and sky in its essence, we, too, carry the imprint of interconnected experiences, including those of generations before us.
Psychiatrist Daniel Siegel offers a similar insight in modern language, coining the term “Interpersonal neurobiology” to describe how our brains and nervous systems are intricately connected. Due to the functioning of mirror neurons, our emotional states impact each other, consciously or unconsciously. I have noticed that when I enter a room where someone is visibly anxious or upset, it affects my nervous system, sometimes without a word being spoken. Human beings are connected in much the same way that trees share root systems; we are part of a vast network that includes not only our immediate environment, but also the unprocessed emotional experience of our ancestors.
This interconnectedness is especially true during infancy and early childhood when our dependency on caregivers shapes our entire being;our development is profoundly influenced by our environment—not just by what our parents do or say but by who they are when they say and do it. The emotional energy they carry, consciously or unconsciously, is deeply impactful. This is where the concept of inherited trauma comes in.
Trauma doesn’t just affect one generation; it’s passed down, emotionally and biologically, shaping not only individual lives but entire family lines. Through a process known as epigenetics, our emotional environment influences gene expression. Epigenetics doesn’t change the DNA sequence itself, but it does “tag” or modify genes through chemical markers, affecting which genes are activated or silenced.
To understand this more clearly, consider how environmental factors—chronic stress, trauma, or even nurturing experiences—can add or remove methyl groups (small chemical tags that attach to the DNA or the proteins surrounding it). These epigenetic tags influence which genes are turned on or off, determining how the body expresses or suppresses various traits.
For example, when someone experiences significant trauma, it can add methyl groups to specific genes, effectively silencing them. This doesn’t alter the DNA itself, but it does alter how it’s expressed in the body, changing the way that stress responses, immune function, and even a person’s mental health manifests.
More profoundly, these epigenetic modifications can be passed down through generations. This is known as ‘epigenetic inheritance,’ and it is particularly evident in descendants of trauma survivors. For example, research on Holocaust survivors has shown that the grandchildren of those who endured such extreme hardship exhibit altered gene expression, particularly in areas related to stress and emotional regulation.
This means that even in generations removed from the original trauma, individuals may carry a heightened sensitivity to stress or an increased likelihood of developing anxiety, depression, or other stress-related conditions. Epigenetics shows that life experiences, particularly those involving trauma, leave chemical markers on our genes that affect not only us but also future generations.
When we view modern-day mental health diagnoses through the lens of inherited trauma, many conditions take on a different perspective. Instead of seeing diagnoses like PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, depression, or ADHD as isolated or even personal issues, we can begin to understand them as points along a continuum of responses that have been shaped by generations of human experience. These conditions are often ways that people adapt to and cope with inherited and direct trauma. Rather than being intrinsic “disorders,” they are, in many cases, coping mechanisms or adaptations.
Take, for example, someone with generalized anxiety. They may have inherited a heightened sensitivity to stress through epigenetic changes due to ancestors who endured extreme adversity. This hyper-alert state, which may now show up as chronic anxiety or hypervigilance, would have been incredibly adaptive in a dangerous environment, helping ancestors remain vigilant to survive threats. Today, however, that same sensitivity may feel overwhelming or out of place in everyday situations, manifesting as anxiety in modern contexts.
Similarly, depressive symptoms can sometimes be understood as a “freeze” response—an evolved survival mechanism where the body essentially shuts down to protect itself from emotional or physical pain. In challenging environments, this response might have helped previous generations endure unspeakable hardships. Now, in a world where the immediate threats of survival are not always present, this freeze response may appear as depression, leaving individuals feeling immobilized or disengaged from life.
This understanding of mental health diagnoses as interconnected expressions of coping mechanisms rooted in inherited trauma fundamentally shifts our perspective. Rather than viewing them as individual or isolated problems, we start to see them as reflections of a much broader legacy of human resilience and adaptation. Trauma may have shaped the ways we respond to stress, but it has also given rise to ways of coping, surviving, and even thriving within difficult circumstances.
And while these adaptations were once survival strategies, they continue to echo through generations, sometimes in ways that serve us and sometimes in ways that may hold us back. Understanding that we carry not only our own experiences but also the imprints of our ancestors’ experiences can be both humbling and liberating. It opens the door to recognizing that the pain or struggles we might face today are not solely our own burden but part of a larger narrative—a story of endurance and adaptation passed down through the ages.
This doesn’t mean we’re powerless in the face of inherited trauma. Epigenetics also shows us that the environment continues to interact with our genes, shaping them in ways that can be healing as well as harmful. Through nurturing relationships, intentional healing practices, and environments that foster safety and connection, we can influence our epigenetic expression, effectively altering the way genes are turned on or off. This power to reshape our own biological inheritance emphasizes the importance of self-care, therapy, and conscious efforts to create positive emotional environments, not just for ourselves but for future generations as well.
As a therapist, understanding the concept of epigenetic inheritance has profoundly shifted my perspective on mental health. I now see conditions like anxiety and depression not as isolated issues, but as echoes of adaptive responses that have been shaped by generations of human experience. Recognizing that we carry not only our own experiences but also the imprints of our ancestors’ struggles, I feel both humbled and inspired to help clients embrace this larger narrative of resilience. It’s a reminder that we are not alone in our journey and that healing ourselves can transform this legacy for those who come after us.
