family tree
There are moments in life when you may feel like you are connected to something bigger, something deeper than your own experiences. An invisible bond that binds you to people you've never met. A legacy that isn't passed down in the form of possessions, money, or material things, but in the stories, the lessons, and the unspoken rules that are passed down through generations in your family.
Your family history is more than just a chronicle of births, marriages and deaths. It is an invisible legacy - a web of emotions, beliefs, fates and traumas that you carry on through your genes, your upbringing and the countless stories passed down to you by your parents and grandparents. And it influences everything: your behavior, your fears, your goals and, last but not least, your decisions in life.
But what exactly shapes us? What do we take with us from our family history without knowing it? How does the past affect the here and now?
Genetic inheritance: More than just a code
Of course, it is obvious that our genes influence us. But they are not just a biological inheritance that gives us eye color, height or a tendency to certain diseases. Our genes also carry traces of the emotional and psychological experiences of our ancestors. Studies on epigenetics, a relatively new field of research, show that traumatic experiences of parents or grandparents can be passed on not only in our memory, but also in our genes.
For example, a grandmother who experienced the Second World War and was deeply traumatized there may have, without knowing it, passed on an increased tendency toward anxiety or stress behavior to her children. These genes and the unconscious behavior patterns associated with them can even be passed on to the next generation - in your life. You wake up in the morning with a vague but deep-seated fear, without knowing exactly why. Perhaps this is not your own fear, but a legacy from your family's past.
But positive characteristics can also be inherited genetically. Courage, resilience, creativity - these "good genes" from the lives of your ancestors can also shape your own behavior and inspire you to achieve extraordinary things.
Epigenetic inheritance: trauma and its transmission to offspring
There is growing evidence in the scientific world that not only is genetic information passed on from one generation to the next via DNA, but also epigenetic marks that affect the activity of our genes. Epigenetics is the branch of genetics that deals with the changes to genes that do not affect the DNA sequence itself, but the way the genes are turned on or off. These changes can occur due to external influences such as environmental factors, dietary habits and - particularly relevant to the topic - trauma and stress.
The question that arises is: How are traumatic experiences passed down through generations? Can children actually carry the psychological scars of their parents' or grandparents' traumas? And if so, how exactly does this happen?
There are now several studies that show that traumatic experiences in parents or grandparents leave epigenetic traces that influence the genetic activity of the offspring. Mechanisms such as DNA methylation and histone modifications play a central role.
A) The study by Ruthie L. Smith and colleagues (2011): Trauma and rats
One of the most well-known and often cited studies on epigenetic inheritance of trauma was conducted in 2011 by Ruthie L. Smith and her team, who studied the behavior of rats exposed to extreme stress. In this experiment, rat mothers were exposed to intense stress during their pregnancy. The researchers found that the offspring of these animals showed altered behaviors - in particular, a higher sensitivity to stress, which was explained by a change in DNA methylation in a specific gene responsible for stress regulation.
Interestingly, the grandchildren of these stressed rats also showed similar altered behavior, despite not being exposed to direct trauma. The epigenetic marks that were affected by the grandmothers' stress were passed down through multiple generations. This means that these altered genes - those that were affected by stress modifications - were passed down through the generations without the DNA sequence itself being altered.
B) The Case of the Dutch Hunger Winter (1944-1945): The Effects of Hunger and Trauma
One of the most famous studies on the epigenetic inheritance of trauma is based on the experiences of survivors of the Dutch Hunger Winter (1944-1945), a time when millions of people in the Netherlands suffered extreme hunger due to a German blockade during World War II.
Scientists such as Dr. Michael Meaney and others have studied how pregnant women during this time and their children were affected by the extreme conditions. Research showed that the offspring of these mothers (who were exposed to starvation during their pregnancy) had an increased risk of mental health conditions such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
But what is even more interesting is that these epigenetic changes did not only affect the first generation, but were also detectable in the grandchildren of the affected mothers. In a 2011 study, researchers found that the methylation patterns of certain genes were altered in the grandchildren of famine victims, even though these children were not exposed to hunger themselves.
These epigenetic marks on genes responsible for metabolism influenced the metabolic regulation of subsequent generations. This means that the stress and trauma experienced by parents or grandparents can influence the gene activity of offspring via epigenetic mechanisms and, to some extent, even cause genetic predispositions to certain diseases.
C) The study of PTSD and transgenerational inheritance (Yehuda et al., 2016)
Another key example comes from research on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Dr. Rachel Yehuda and her colleagues have conducted several studies on the effects of PTSD in parents on their children. One of their most well-known studies, published in 2016, looked at the offspring of Holocaust survivors.
The researchers found that the children of Holocaust survivors who were never traumatized themselves nevertheless had an increased likelihood of PTSD and anxiety disorders. This suggested that epigenetic changes that occurred during parental trauma were detectable not only in the affected parents but also in their offspring.
In this study, it was found that the DNA methylation of genes related to stress management and anxiety regulation was particularly altered. These changes were documented in both the parents and their children. Here, too, no change in the genetic sequence itself was found, only a change in gene expression - a clear indication of epigenetic inheritance.
How are traumas inherited?
Trauma can be passed on to subsequent generations, even if the children themselves have not experienced the traumatic event. Two epigenetic mechanisms play a central role here:
a) DNA methylation
DNA methylation involves adding a methyl group to DNA, which changes gene activity without changing the DNA sequence itself. This modification can be triggered by stress or traumatic experiences and can remain stable across cell divisions. If parents have been exposed to severe trauma, methylations on certain genes can affect their children's hormone regulation, immune system and stress management.
b) histone modifications
Histones are proteins around which DNA is wrapped. They regulate how tightly or loosely the DNA is packed and thus influence gene activity. Stress or certain chemical influences can change these histones, which also affects gene activity. These modifications can also be passed on through generations.
Are traumas inherited 50% from father and 50% from mother?
Epigenetic inheritance does not follow the classic genetic rules. There is no fixed 50/50 split like with gene inheritance. Both mother and father can pass on epigenetic changes, although sometimes one parent has a stronger influence. Grandparents can also pass on such changes, which shows how complex the epigenetic inheritance of trauma is.
Family and social heritage
Our self is the result of invisible influences that are deeply rooted in our being and determine how we think, feel and act. These influences are not only genetic, but also the result of our family history and the experiences that are passed down through generations. What we carry with us - consciously or unconsciously - often shapes our lives in ways that we are not always aware of.
The Invisible Legacy of the Family
Our family history acts as an invisible legacy that accompanies us in many forms. It's not just the stories we're told or the values we're taught - it's often unconscious issues that are transmitted across generations. For example, unresolved conflicts, trauma or repressed fears can be passed down from one generation to the next without us being aware of it. These "invisible legacies" have a strong formative power and are reflected in our behavior, often without us realizing the origin of these patterns. In a family where money was often a concern, for example, the unconscious legacy of a deep-rooted anxiety about security or lack might take hold - an attitude we may not have consciously adopted, but which nevertheless guides our behavior.
Contrasts and sudden countercurrents between generations
But the invisible legacy can also lead to sudden countercurrents when new generations break with the values and habits of their parents or grandparents. Systemic therapy often examines how these contradictions arise when new generations begin to question or even consciously change the patterns of the previous generation. These changes are not always consciously planned, but can occur as a reaction to the invisible "burdens" of the past.
An example of such a sudden countercurrent could be a younger generation growing up in a time of prosperity and suddenly discovering the value of sustainability and resource conservation, while previous generations were characterized by deprivation and placed value on thrift and security. In families where these contradictions collide, tensions can arise, as the younger generations often try to overcome the unresolved or suppressed fears and issues of the older generations - without being fully aware of it. These unconscious reactions, which emerge as "countercurrents," are often a form of liberation from burdensome patterns.
A unique self in the tension between invisible inheritance and change
The invisible legacy of our family, the invisible "carrying" of values, beliefs and unresolved problems, combines with the influences of our own environment and experiences to create a unique self. This connection of generations, which both shapes and challenges us, is the origin of many of our behavioral patterns and beliefs. But we have the opportunity to become aware of these invisible influences and to question them. Only when we recognize what we unconsciously carry with us can we seize the opportunity to change.
In systemic therapy, this awareness is often used to understand not only how these unconscious inheritances manifest themselves, but also how we can actively bring about change. By dealing with our "invisible inheritance" and the countercurrents it creates, we can find a new path that makes our lives freer and more self-determined.
family tree- The History of the Family: An Invisible Legacy
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