Finding the Light of Invisibility

Dear Fellow Travelers,

Have you ever felt invisible? A lot of people have, not only the ones we see in our offices, but also those we look at in the mirror. It's a part of life that is often hard to see, even when we’re looking for it.

Sometimes, I dream about being invisible. It feels somewhat bleak, but I know that dreams can often lead to introspection and transformation if I take the time to understand their meaning.

In one such dream, I was stranded by a snowstorm and couldn't get back home. The roads were blocked, and I had to turn around in a remote area, taking refuge in a cold, expansive factory where everyone was busy and seemed indifferent to my plight.

They did have a large room, its entryway guarded by a silent sentinel, not seeing the pain in front of him. It was a place where you could hang out with the other lost souls waiting for the roads to open. However, that might not happen for several months—possibly even longer.

Like the conditions outside, there was a feeling of darkness and invisibility in the air.

Being quite tired and overwhelmed, I found an empty area to rest and gather my thoughts. I started to write, a practice that always helps me uncover the story within the story—the one that reveals what I need to see, giving me hope.

I didn’t know how or why, only that it was my calling to be present, as a participant and witness, to this shared human experience of aloneness and pain.

From the disarray around me, I realized that someone else had been using this space before, but no one knew their name or where they were now. They were invisible. And I wondered how long it would be until I was, too.

I tried calling my wife, but the line wouldn’t connect. Suddenly awakening to the sound of a phone, I felt relieved to know that she had been at my side the whole time.

After her loving words and tender touch, I sat quietly, reflecting on the meaning of the dream.

I think about the pain of aloneness that many people deal with every day, and how grateful I am to know the light within. That’s our capacity for transformation and healing, which helps us find our way during dark times.

As I reflect on my work, I realize that I need to hold that light for many of my patients and clients who have endured so much in their lives and struggle to see it within themselves or others.

I believe that when they can sense the light in my humanity, something shifts. They begin to discover their own light inside. And can offer it to the wounded parts that are lost and forgotten, who felt they needed to leave to survive.

In this blog, my intention is to convey what I know about trauma and healing, and translate it into words and images that create new meaning from our experiences, regardless of where we sit in the room, therapists and non-therapists alike.

Welcome to The Light of Invisibility, where we can look at ourselves in the mirror and find our way home when we are lost and aren’t sure who we are anymore.

This is my offering. It’s more than freedom—it’s our forgiveness. It’s an ending and a new beginning—the light that will take you home to who you were always meant to be.

Join me in the light,

Marc

P.S. If you’d like to share your comments and questions, you can respond to this letter at mcecilvt@aol.com. With my blessing, feel free to share this email and blog with others that you hold, or wish to hold you, in the light of invisibility.

Dr. Cecil is a licensed psychologist, certified AEDP supervisor, approved consultant in EMDR, and senior CSRT consultant, specializing in treating complex relational, developmental, and transgenerational trauma. His mission is to spread the light of invisibility to therapists and non-therapists looking for a way to connect in the darkness.