I learned this concept years ago. It was not surprising because my grand parents survived World War 2 in Japan and my maternal parents were escaping from China to Thailand. Our family had gone through so much even before I was born. All my grandparents had mood issues, anxiety issues all the time. I did not have the word or descriptions to pin point or to explain to my grandparents, but especially my grandmother was very obviously suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She suffered from nightmares, sleep difficulty, constant fear, impending sense of doom, heightened anxiety...My father is a lot better, but I can definitely see him carrying the legacy of residual trauma passed down from his ancestors. When I looked up the definition, it says "generational trauma refers to the transmission of adverse experiences and their psychological effects across generations in a condensed timeframe. This phenomenon underscores how trauma can shape individuals and communities, leaving lasting impacts that transcend time. From what I could remember from my Japanese grandmother, she definitely suffered from nightmare, fear which prevented her from sleeping regular night hours and she was unable to leave her town. Back then in Japan, we really did not have adequate mental health professionals so she did reply on her primary care physician for quite a bit to treat "so called" aches/pains, chest pain, lack of motivation. Now I can understand she could have been suffering from somatic symptoms due to the trauma and destructions she experienced during World War 2. Her time came at 102 and she passed away quietly while asleep. For the last remaining years, our family members were noticing her playing more with cats, holding them. She often said this word : "I am lived." This was very powerful.
The Phrase "Ikasareteiru" in Japanese can be translated to English as "being kept alive" or "being allowed to live." It shows there's so much more than us just living, but rather humans are supported, sustained by others, nature, higher power (if it exists), natural forces. This notion adds more weight to life itself. This reflects humility of human lives and an acknowledgement of the interconnectedness and interdependence of life.
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