In Part 1 of this two-part article, we described the common cultural term “trigger” as “something that provokes a strong cognitive, emotional, or physical reaction, which is often related to past experiences, traumatic events, fears, or deeply held beliefs or attitudes.” Secular theorists, following the beliefs of Polyvagal theory (PVT) popularized by Bessel van der Kolk, would have us believe that our responses to past trauma are dictated and determined—hardwired into our bodies.The polyvagal theory (PVT) of human behavior was developed and articulated by Stephen Porges in the 1990s. For a more recent expression of his theory, see S. W. Porges, The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation, Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology (New York: WW Norton & Company, 2011). For a short history, description, and critique of PVT from a biblical counseling perspective, see Kyle Gangel, The Dysregulated Nervous System: A Biblical Evaluation of Polyvagal Theory (Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, 2024). That theory greatly exaggerates the role of the body and virtually eliminates biblical anthropological truths about the mind and soul.Greg Gifford suggests that the body is not the source or cause of the response at all. Rather, “the body creates [or experiences] the trial … to which the soul responds.” Greg Gifford, “Does the Body Keep the Score? Biblical Counseling and the Body,” Journal of Biblical Soul Care 8, 1 (2024): 52. He goes on to more accurately suggest that “According to the Bible, the soul keeps the score.”
Why is the term “trigger” potentially misleading and unbiblical? And what is a better way to understand and refer to the experiences and responses of sufferers, so they are pointed to biblical answers, solutions, and help?
How the Term “Trigger” May Be Unbiblical or Unhelpful
It must first be understood that I am not suggesting we must never use the term. However, we need to understand how to use the term in a biblical counseling context, so that we are careful to communicate in biblical and helpful ways.
One unbiblical and hopeless way to understand triggers is believing one truly “cannot help themself” when they feel triggered. Many have embraced the misconception that their triggers are automatic, dictated responses that they may experience their whole life. This situation would be both sad and hopeless—believing that they cannot change these reactions or that the process of change is lengthy, drawn-out, and passive, with the hope that traumatic memories will simply fade from their memory and that the body will no longer keep the score over time.
The Bible and the promises of God offer more hope than that. Some common responses of a so-called “triggered” individual are enmities, strife, outbursts of anger—referred to by the Apostle Paul as “deeds of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19-21). But Paul says, “walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). As we pointed out in part 1, when the believer learns to entrust themselves to God, trials can produce joy, perseverance, character and hope (Romans 5:1-5), as well as endurance and maturity (James 1:2-4). Biblical counselors should not use the term trigger in a way that agrees with the hopeless and “I can’t help it” perspective of the world. Believers are now a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and they can put to death their old-self and put on the likeness of Christ in their thoughts, desires, will, speech, and behavior (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Another unhelpful use of the term applies to external circumstances, but in a way that shifts blame from one’s reactions onto the trigger itself, rather than acknowledging our heart’s response to it. For example, “Bill” was raised by very harsh and critical parents. He subsequently experienced genuine injustice from two previous employers when he was fired without cause. When Bill’s current boss offers unconstructive criticism in his annual review, he reacts with anger, violence, and a threatening, irrational tirade. Bill says he was “triggered” by his employer’s criticism, and he couldn’t help it. However, Bill needs to understand his past in light of God’s sovereignty and goodness. He needs to learn how to trust in God for his vocational pursuits. Past wrongs can never justify the sinful responses Bill displayed during his review.
One combat veteran relates how watching a movie about military operations causes him to seemingly “smell the desert and feel the hot breeze on his face” like he was transported back to that place of danger, fear, and heightened vigilance. Thankfully, he does not respond with the visceral, harmful, and sometimes sinful reactions that some veterans display. Those that do react strongly, however, need to understand the responses of their heart, and not blame their body for whatever sins may manifest in that moment.
As a counselee learns to evaluate their experiences and responses biblically, they will learn that the trigger is not impossible to resist, and they can grow in self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). God and His Word can help them grow in their ability to think truthfully and biblically about both the external stimuli and their internal responses. In many cases, these responses are less public and visible and don’t involve outward and observably sinful responses. The circumstances and environment may trigger silent or debilitating fear. Even these silent and unobservable reactions must be understood first in light of the inner man—the heart—and not the body alone (Matthew 15:19).
A More Biblical Way
The term “trigger” is clearly a gun metaphor. If a trigger gets pulled, there is a sudden and automatic flash of gunpowder that discharges an unstoppable and painful projectile. It happens so fast that you can’t see or trace the action with the naked eye. That is often how it feels for the combat veteran, the crash survivor, or the victim of violence. But in the same way a high-speed camera capable of capturing thousands of frames per second can “slow down” the action of a bullet as it is discharged, the Word of God can help us “slow down” our vision and understanding of our experiences to see the elements involved in that sudden response that seems like an uncontrollable reaction.
Greg Gifford helpfully distinguishes that “the body does not cause immaterial responses [of the heart, mind, attitudes, behaviors, etc.] but only influences them [emphasis mine].”Ibid., 45. The Bible refers to these influences in various ways in different situations. Using the high-speed camera of Scripture, we see these body/heart responses described in at least the following three ways.
The first biblical concept is that the external environment and experience “provoke” or “stirs up” the response. This term may describe both sinful responses, like Bill’s anger at his critical boss. As Proverbs 15:1 says, “a harsh word stirs up anger.” Bill’s past habits of angry responses make this provocation harder to resist, but not impossible. “Provoke” may also refer to morally neutral responses, like the veteran’s experiences of smell and sensation. Provocation is perhaps a good word for experiencing reactions when one cannot recall or point to conscious thoughts or memories in the moment that they were responding to.
Secondly, when someone can recall conscious thoughts or memories in the moment, it may be more appropriate to use the word “temptation” to describe the trigger (the terms and concepts overlap, however). As Bill sits through his performance review, forced to endure harsh criticism, he consciously thinks about how his boss is “just like” his parents and his last boss. He broods on the similarities until he eventually bursts out in sinful anger. He is tempted to attack because of past experiences, but by God’s grace, and following Christ’s example, he can learn to receive even unjust criticism without “reviling in return” but instead overcome evil with good (1 Peter 2:21-23; Romans 12:21).
Another category to describe what may be called a trigger is an “irrational or idolatrous desire.”Please do not assume that I would put every “trigger” or response in an idolatrous or irrational category. I am simply saying that there are examples of desires that are born out of difficult or traumatic experiences that can cross a line and result in sinful, self-protective, or irrational thoughts and attitudes. An older woman I knew had lived through the aftermath of the depression and then the experience of limited rations of food, fuel, and clothing during World War II. She never overcame her fear of going without and being in need, and it caused her to hoard both food and possessions. If a family member threw something in the trash, it would often trigger fear and anger. Though there was no rational reason to fear, the perception that others were endangering her would cause her to lash out in anger and often hide or deny her further hoarding. Though a counselor would need to be compassionate and understanding in his or her approach, this woman needs to learn about the care and provision of God and how to respond to her fears and sinful desires of control and security.
Conclusion
This two-part article is an attempt to reframe and redefine the idea of triggers. The goal is to help biblical counselors understand the way the term is colloquially used, describe how the use of this term may encourage unbiblical thinking, and suggest more biblical language and concepts that counselors might use to avoid confusion.
Instead of using the term “trigger,” I suggest we reframe their experience in biblical categories of “provocation,” “temptation,” “unbelief,” or “idolatry.” We don’t want our counselees to believe there is no hope for change or be further entrenched in sin by blaming the trigger instead of examining their heart’s desires and responses. God does not give us more than what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13; James 1:13-15) and every occasion is either an opportunity to grow in holiness or to please the flesh by succumbing to temptation and sin (Genesis 4:6-8).
Instead, we should help them understand how external circumstances can provoke behavior, tempt the heart, or confuse the mind about what God-honoring responses look like in each circumstance and then apply the hope and promises of the Gospel to their lives. Over time, God uses efforts toward those goals to grow, change, and sanctify us.
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself equip us in every good thing to do His will as we seek to minister Scripture to our counselees to be more like Christ in every dimension of life, including the experience of “triggers.”