There are many ways to do Flash* approaches to resolving a memory. This particular version of Flash is conceptually and practically different from other versions. It is also likely to be profoundly different than how you are accustomed to work on memories.
First, humans heal when they have experiences that are different than the expectation in the bad memory.** We are brining a tiny slice of the memory into working memory (not the whole memory!) and encouraging you to have experiences that disconfirm the expectation in that bad memory. You may be expecting to feel unsafe, yet your calm scene is relaxing you. The blinks in the calm scene split the 30 second exposure of the calm scene up into six five second exposures to the calm scene. These large number of exposures to the calm scene help you process the memory faster. The reason that experiencing distress while doing this work is a problem is because the distress is consistent with the expectation in the bad memory and negates the calm scene. If you experience distress and continue with this approach (despite the clear guidance for how to manage it), it is possible that the calm scene and the bad memory may become paired and trigger each other.
You can learn more about how the approach to healing is conceptualized at: http://FourBlinks.com
*The Flash Technique is an approach developed by Philip Manfield. This site is not affiliated with anyone or endorsed by anyone other than its authors. If you are a therapist and would like to learn more about the Four Blinks Version of Flash that this site is built upon, see: FourBlinks.com.
**This is the core of Bruce Ecker’s work on memory reconsolidation. See: Unlocking the Emotional Brain: Eliminating Symptoms at Their Roots Using Memory Reconsolidation by Bruce Ecker, Robin Ticic & Laurel Hulley. New York: Routledge (2012).
Resolve Memories 