Ancestral Trauma Healing: The Terrain Within

In my Personalized Terrain Model, healing is not simply about adding what is missing; it’s about re-establishing coherence within the systems that comprise the human body, a concept deeply rooted in multidimensional healing. A prime example illustrating this principle is the story of butyrate—a short-chain fatty acid that sits at the intersection of microbiome health, intestinal repair, and emotional regulation, all of which can be understood through the lens of psychoneuroimmunology.

In functional medicine, butyrate is often recognized as a crucial molecule for gut repair. It provides energy to the colon lining, supports intestinal barrier function, and helps regulate inflammation. However, growing evidence indicates that oral supplementation rarely achieves the same results as the body’s own butyrate production. This distinction is not merely about the molecule itself but rather the living system it originates from, reflecting the principles of epigenetics that govern our health.

The renewed interest in Anaerostipes partly stems from early fecal transplant studies. These transplants, while still experimental in many contexts, revealed that full-spectrum microbial restoration could improve certain conditions that resisted conventional treatment, aligning with principles of epigenetics and multidimensional healing. Researchers then began identifying specific keystone species, such as Anaerostipes caccae, to understand which bacteria contributed most to recovery, particularly in the context of psychoneuroimmunology. 

Because these organisms are highly sensitive to oxygen, they have been difficult to cultivate outside the gut. Only recently have scientists developed controlled anaerobic techniques to produce stable strains for study and potential clinical use. This transition—from broad fecal microbiota transfers to specific, purified strains—represents a new direction in microbiome science: one that seeks to reproduce the effects of ecological restoration with greater precision and safety.

Research in psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) and microbiome science is increasingly intersecting, highlighting the importance of epigenetics in understanding these connections. PNI traditionally examines how psychological states influence the immune and nervous systems, while the microbiome adds a third dimension—microbial communities that regulate inflammatory signaling, stress response, and neurotransmitter balance, thereby contributing to multidimensional healing. 

Short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate appear to participate in several of these pathways. They can influence cytokine activity (including IL-6 and TNF-α), modulate the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, and interact with the vagus nerve, which serves as a key interface between the gut and the brain. These pathways have been central to PNI research for decades.

Studies from integrated PNI–microbiome groups, such as the APC Microbiome Institute at University College Cork (Cryan & Dinan, 2012; 2019), the Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology at UCLA (Slavich et al., 2018), and SUNY Upstate Medical University (Licinio et al., 2020), demonstrate that microbial metabolites can influence immune tone and emotional regulation through shared biochemical channels.

Animal and early human studies have associated lower butyrate levels with heightened stress sensitivity and depressive symptoms, though causality remains under investigation (Zhang et al., 2023). The emerging picture suggests a bidirectional relationship: the gut environment and emotional regulation appear to shape one another through overlapping immune and neuroendocrine pathways.

From a health-psychology standpoint, these findings are not prescriptive but reflective. They invite a broader view of emotional well-being as part of a dynamic system—one where mental and microbial coherence may support one another over time, emphasizing the role of epigenetics in these interactions.

The emerging field of butyrate and microbial restoration invites reflection rather than certainty. While the science is evolving, it points toward a broader truth: healing depends less on adding external agents than on recreating the conditions that enable the system to remember how to self-regulate, a concept closely tied to epigenetics. Whether through probiotic research, fecal transplant exploration, or supportive supplementation, the aim remains the same—to facilitate multidimensional healing by helping the body’s ecosystems reclaim their own intelligence. In this context, the gut transcends its role as merely a digestive organ and becomes a mirror of the mind: both seek coherence, stability, and communication. Health psychology reminds us that emotions shape biology, and biology shapes emotions. While supporting the microbial terrain may not guarantee emotional balance, it can contribute to the foundation of psychoneuroimmunology, on which balance is built.

Cryan, J.F., & Dinan, T.G. (2012). Mind-altering microorganisms: the impact of the gut microbiota on brain and behaviour, highlighting the role of epigenetics in this interaction. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 13(10), 701–712.

Dinan, T.G., & Cryan, J.F. (2019). The microbiome–gut–brain axis in health and disease, emphasizing the importance of multidimensional healing approaches. Gastroenterology Clinics of North America, 48(3), 407–415.

Licinio, J., & Wong, M.L. (2020). The role of inflammatory processes in depression: advances from basic and translational studies in psychoneuroimmunology. Molecular Psychiatry, 25, 283–296.

Slavich, G.M. et al. (2018). Psychoneuroimmunology and human health: new perspectives on brain–body communication, illustrating the interconnectedness of our systems. American Psychologist, 73(7), 861–871.

Stilling, R.M. et al. (2016). Butyrate: linking the gut microbiota to brain function and its potential epigenetic effects. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 10, 423.

Zhang, Y. et al. (2023). Gut microbiota–derived short-chain fatty acids and depression: mechanisms and therapeutic potential for multidimensional healing. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 17, 1088230.

Zheng, L. et al. (2024). The gut microbiota metabolite butyrate modulates acute stress-induced ferroptosis in the prefrontal cortex, showcasing vital links in psychoneuroimmunology. Neuroscience Letters.

Cryan, J.F. et al. (2023). The microbiota–gut–brain axis: from neurobiology to clinical translation, underlining the implications for epigenetics in treatment strategies. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 24(6), 401–419.