The vital role of disgust
Disgust is one of the most misunderstood human emotions. We often think of it as something unpleasant, something we should push away or override. But in Sarah Peyton’s resonant healing work, disgust is recognised as a vital part of our emotional landscape – a protective force that helps keep us safe.
Drawing on the neuroscience of Jaak Panksepp, who identified seven core emotional circuits of motivation and emotion, Sarah Peyton noticed something missing. In her private session work, she kept encountering disgust as a primary, organising emotion – one that shapes our beliefs, our boundaries, and even our sense of self. She added the Disgust Circuit to the emotional map because it shows up again and again in trauma healing, attachment repair, and the journey toward self‑compassion.
“Resonance grows self‑compassion and secure attachment.” – Sarah Peyton
Why Disgust Matters
Disgust is not just about food or hygiene. It is an emotion that helps us recognise what feels unsafe, contaminated, or overwhelming – physically, emotionally, or relationally. When it’s working well, disgust protects us. It helps us say no. It helps us step back from what harms us.
But when disgust turns inward, it can become shame. It can make us believe that we are the problem. It can block us from approaching old trauma because the body says, “Don’t go there – it’s too much.”
This is why learning to work with disgust can be absolutely crucial for healing. When we meet disgust with resonance – warm, attuned language that acknowledges the body’s experience – something shifts. The emotion becomes less frightening and more informative. It becomes a guide rather than a barrier.
How Resonant Healing Helps
Resonant language gently accompanies the nervous system. Instead of pushing disgust away, we learn to listen to it. We learn to wonder:
- What is this emotion trying to protect?
- What boundary is it signalling?
- What story from the past is still shaping the present?
Resonance helps us turn toward the parts of ourselves that feel “too much,” “too messy,” or “too shameful.” And in doing so, we begin to reclaim the energy that was tied up in trying to avoid, self‑criticise, or fear.
My son doesn’t like mushrooms
I remember when my son was little and would try a new food. His mouth would go down at the corners, his eyes would widen and he’d start spitting the food out. Disgust! He did not like certain new tastes or textures. Of course not. If I thought it was him being fussy or ‘difficult’ I might have overridden his disgust and encouraged him to eat it anyway. My parents had experienced rationing after the second world war, so I was never allowed to have preferences and had to eat everything, even liver which made me feel sick. This feeling of disgust is completely normal, natural and indeed helpful. Had the food been ‘off’ rather than an unfamiliar or unpleasant mushroom, then the taste and disgust would have alerted me to potential food poisoning. What a good idea to have access to disgust.
Disgust as an Age Appropriate Boundary
One of my clients was telling me about a memory of waking up from a bad dream and going into their parents room to see them having sex when they were very young. Together we went back in time to be with their younger self in the memory, so they didn’t have to be so alone. We froze their parents in the scene, and I made some resonant guesses. Did their younger self need acknowledgment of some shock? yes. And would it be sweet if someone else knew that it was scary to hear their parents moaning and groaning? yes. Did the younger self feel sick? yes. I asked if they needed some acknowledgment of disgust? Oh yes. And then his mouth changed shape turning down at the corners, and a sigh of relief arose. Naming this disgust was so helpful for them. Yes they had felt Yuck and had turned his face away. He wasn’t being prim, he was being 8 where such sexiness was inappropriate for him. He was not biologically ready for it, so the disgust he felt had a protective quality to keep his young body from experiences he was not equipped to handle or ready for. Disgust? What a good idea.
We Need Disgust to Stay Safe
Disgust is not a flaw. It is not a sign of weakness. It is a deeply intelligent emotion that has been trying to protect you for a very long time. When we meet this emotion with resonance, we begin to understand its helpful messages. Shame can soften. We open pathways to healing that were previously blocked. And discover that even our most uncomfortable emotions and memories are part of our wholeness. Naming ‘what is’ can be hugely helpful, and seeing the gift in naming Disgust can free us up from shame too.
If you are struggling with unresolved memories or recurring feelings, Resonance may be a useful tool in your healing toolkit. Contact me lucy@lucyascham.com