Yes, it is gone, unless we keep it alive. That’s the point in psychotherapy of uncovering and revisiting past experiences that caused emotional distress. Achieving resolution and letting go of the grip that these events still have on us is necessary to be fully present in the present. I call it releasing energy knots, and the unraveling of these energy knots provides a palpable sense of relief and freedom. It’s the freedom to be who we really are, unencumbered by the limiting beliefs that held us back for decades.