Psychic traumas are a natural part of life. They teach us how to deal with difficulties, handle the unexpected, and help each other along the way. Without them, we wouldn`t have the impetus for spiritual growth.

Some of the traumas we encounter are personal, and many are relatively easy to heal. An embarrassing moment, a dog bite, or the end of a relationship. The impression stays with us for a time, but with patience and hard work, we learn the lesson it was meant to teach us. Various forms of therapy and psychic healing can aid in this process.

But what about earth-shattering, collective traumas? What about earthquakes, tsunamis, or unspeakable acts like those of 9/11? What good can be taken away from such tragic events, and is there any way to heal psychic trauma on such a large scale?

The answer, of course, is a resounding yes—but we can`t expect it to happen overnight, or even in a decade. Whether individual or collective, mild or severe, all psychic traumas consist of negative energies trapped in our psychic framework. Here are four ways to work them loose.

1. Go within

Mainstream research is now confirming that mindfulness practices—things like yoga, meditation and visualization—have tremendous value in healing psychic traumas. The more we allow ourselves to go within, the easier it is to perceive and release the negative energies we hold.

The chakra system is especially useful for working through traumas. Our lower chakras are often blocked by survival-related traumas—situations where the fight-or-flight response was activated. When we experience setbacks related to social acceptance, creativity and romance, our middle chakras hold the trapped energy. Our upper chakras are gateways to the spiritual dimensions, and may become dormant as a result of other blocked chakras. This ancient map of spiritual anatomy is an effective way to locate, visualise, and "move" blocked energies—but don`t expect mainstream research to admit it anytime soon!

2. Go without

Since the inherent nature of psychic traumas is trapped or bottled-up energy, reaching out to others is key. Whether it`s joining a support group or simply confiding in someone we trust, sharing our traumas has a profound healing impact.

This applies not only to our fellow human beings, but to the spirit world as well. There are countless guides, angels, and teachers who are ready and willing to help us—we need only seek them out. For many people, spirit guides are a completely untapped resource. Enlarging our sense of community to include spiritual or light beings is one of the best things we can do for psychic traumas. It gives us access to healing modalities that are literally out of this world!

3. Get physical

The mind-body-spirit is a single complex with many mysterious points of connection. Sometimes we dwell too much on the mental and spiritual aspects of ourselves, and we neglect the importance of the physical. Clean food and good workouts give a huge boost to our entire being.

Drinking a superfood smoothie may not seem related to getting over our high school sweetheart, but whenever we bring positive energy into any part of the mind-body-spirit complex, we loosen the psychic knots that have developed within us. Becoming more open and clear is a matter of addressing the whole system, with as many tools and methods as possible.

4. Get psychic

Psychic vision can directly reveal the nature of some traumas. Many people develop their own psychic abilities as a path toward self-healing. Others find that speaking with a talented psychic helps them to see and understand what is holding them back.