Book · 1997
Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma
by Peter A. Levine
A trauma therapist's account of the body finishing what fight-or-flight started, built around 'felt sense' exercises and a three-part brain model.
What does Reddit think of Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma?
Eighty mentions in the tracked subs, most of them (64) in r/CPTSD, is enough volume to actually see a pattern instead of guessing at one. The pattern: this book keeps showing up paired with The Body Keeps the Score, sometimes as the companion, sometimes as the replacement. r/therapists' top comment (↑127) opens by relaying 'deep criticisms' of van der Kolk's book before building out a full trauma-reading list; this title sits inside that list, not standing alone. Where Levine gets discussed on his own terms, two named ideas repeat: the triune-brain model (lizard, mammalian, neocortex) in the top CPTSD comment (↑134), and 'felt sense' body-check exercises in a lower-upvoted one (↑20) that a reader specifically credits with being useful day to day. r/internalfamilysystems and r/AskPsychology barely register by comparison. The pushback that surfaces here is about shelf placement, not about whether the exercises work.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · The triune-brain model: lizard, mammalian, neocortex
- · 'Felt sense' body-check exercises as the practical takeaway
- · Constant pairing with The Body Keeps the Score, as companion or replacement
- · Recommended inside trauma-recovery reading lists rather than alone
Common praise
- + A CPTSD reader (↑20) says the felt-sense exercises are 'useful for checking in with the body and sensations throughout the day,' months after first reading it.
- + The top CPTSD comment (↑134) uses the book to explain the triune-brain model in plain terms: lizard brain, mammalian brain, and what comes after.
- + r/therapists (↑36) states an outright preference for it over the more famous alternative, no hedging.
Common criticism
- − r/therapists' highest-upvoted comment (↑127) leads with criticism of The Body Keeps the Score and treats this book as one entry in a longer reading list, not the standout.
- − r/internalfamilysystems and r/AskPsychology barely mention it at all next to r/CPTSD's 64 references, so its reach outside trauma-specific subs is thin in this data.
- − A tickling-trauma comment (↑60) cites the book for a fairly narrow, specific scenario, which doesn't tell you much about the book's general usefulness.
Who it's for
Ask r/CPTSD what to read after The Body Keeps the Score and this title comes up constantly, sometimes as the next step, sometimes as what people wish they'd started with. The triune-brain explanation in the top comment (↑134) works if you want a mental model before you want an exercise. Want the exercise instead? The 'felt sense' body-check described at ↑20 is the specific thing readers say they still use. r/therapists treats it as one book among several on a trauma-recovery shelf, not the only one worth owning, so go in expecting a companion, not a replacement.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“If you are familiar with Peter Levine and Waking the tiger, he talks about the triune brain. Basically, there is the lizard brain: fight/flight/freeze, connected to the nervous system. Then there is the evolution of the mammalian brain (emotions, desire to be in packs etc, like cats or dogs) and t…
“Just a heads up, that there have been some deep criticisms of “The Body Keeps Score” and there is a huge list of books that are recommended reading for trauma. I am working through it myself. • Trauma and Recovery (Judith Herman) • Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving (Pete Walker) • What M…
“Peter A. Levine: - “Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma” - “In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness” - - Bessel van der Kolk: - “The Body Keeps the Score: B…
“This is a common source of physiological trauma. Being tickle to that point would more than likely initiate a fight/flight/freeze response. If done over and over it’s not surprising to have serious trauma associated symptoms with that if you don’t fully “experience” the full process. Read “Waking th…
“I prefer waking the tiger, healing trauma by Peter Levine
“This isnt stupid. Its normal to not be able to empathize with certain people, and you dont have to right now or ever. You might one day but thats not helpful or necessary to this stage of your healing. Right now you want to embrace that resentment and anger, this is good because these emotions are i…
“I found TBKTS a useful and helpful read especially when I was quite new to trauma-focused therapy. It's an older book, but I recently read Peter Levine's "Waking The Tiger" and I'm finding the "felt sense" exercises useful for checking in with the body and sensations throughout the day. I also h…
“In short? Because any tiny bit of vulnerability is dangerous to us. Someone (usually multiple people) who we believed we could trust betrayed us over and over. Now our traumatized brains can’t tell who is trustworthy and who isn’t. “I can’t talk” or any other sign of vulnerability opens the door for…
“I think your body is most likely releasing pent up trauma. Which is a good thing! It means that you are healing! Psychologists/therapists/psychiatrists are powerful authority figures. So dumping your emotionally abusive psychologist was a powerful act of you taking up your autonomy as a human bein…
“Please note shaking is an actual trauma response of mammals! Peter Levine’s work (specifically his book Waking The Tiger) really helped me understand this. I highly recommend it, as I do The Body Keeps The Score. It really changed my approach to myself in these moments & helped me understand the eff…
“I don’t have a cat, but I have a dog and having a dog reminds me to take care of myself as well as I take care of him. If I feed him but I haven’t eaten, for example, it reminds me I need to eat. My dog also inspired me to start practicing yoga *years* ago and it’s done wonders for my mental health.…
“I’ve read it so many times, it’s great. Also waking the tiger by Peter Levine. I unfortunately am stuck in chronic dissociation after having 2 major panic attacks that almost landed me in the hospital 2 years ago. My nervous system has never recovered. I am emtionally numb to my core, have vivid dr…
“Peter Levine's books! \- Waking the tiger \- Memory and trauma \- In an unspoken voice (reading at the moment) ​ Really helped me understand the body aspect of trauma, come to terms with my memory issues and understand the physiological causes of my IBS and other physical ailments due …
“If you want more guidance on these types of methods, there's a good book called *Waking the Tiger* by Peter Levine. It talks about a lot of similar exercises and why we think they work. Someone else on this sub recommended it to me and I read it and liked it.
“Get out of freeze - Waking The Tiger, by Peter Levine Power and Influence - read a good biography
Convinced? Pick up Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma
Readers also mention
Books that share discussion threads with Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma — counted from the comments, not curated.
Guides featuring Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma
Ranked best-of lists and editorial guides where this book's tracked mentions place it.
Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma — frequently asked
Is Waking the Tiger better than The Body Keeps the Score?+
The data doesn't settle it. r/therapists' top comment (↑127) opens with criticism of The Body Keeps the Score and lists Waking the Tiger as one option among a longer trauma-reading list, not a replacement. A separate r/therapists comment (↑36) states a personal preference for Levine's book outright, with no comparison given.
What is the 'felt sense' exercise in Waking the Tiger about?+
It's a body-awareness practice a CPTSD reader (↑20) specifically credits with helping them 'check in with the body and sensations throughout the day,' months after first reading the book. That's the most concrete, specific praise in the displayed data, more specific than the general trauma-book recommendations elsewhere.
Does Reddit recommend Waking the Tiger for CPTSD specifically?+
Yes, more than any other subreddit: 64 of the 80 recognized mentions come from r/CPTSD. The top comment there (↑134) uses the book to teach the triune-brain model rather than reviewing it directly, and other CPTSD comments cite it for specific scenarios, like understanding a tickling-related trauma response (↑60).
Is Waking the Tiger just about the triune brain?+
No, that's one piece cited in the top-upvoted comment (↑134). Elsewhere the book gets cited for the 'felt sense' body-check exercises (↑20) and gets placed inside broader trauma-recovery reading lists next to Trauma and Recovery and Complex PTSD (↑127), so the triune-brain framing is an entry point, not the whole book.