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Polyvagal Theory - The Nervous System and Co-regulation - Deb Dana

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The autonomic nervous system is at the heart of our lived experience. It

influences the way we live, love, and work; it guides how we move

through the world. The nervous system is the common denominator in

our human family designed to help us successfully navigate the

challenges of daily living ensuring we survive in moments of danger and

thrive in times of safety. Polyvagal Theory, developed by renowned

scientist Stephen Porges, offers a guide to the inner workings of the

autonomic nervous system and a way to partner with our nervous

system to navigate this unfamiliar territory. According to Polyvagal Theory,

three organizing principles — neuroception, hierarchy, and co-regulation —

form the foundation of understanding how our nervous system works.


The Language of Polyvagal Theory


Neuroception


The stories about who we are and how the world works originate in

our autonomic state, are sent through autonomic pathways from

the body to the brain, and are then translated by the brain into the

beliefs that guide our daily living. The mind narrates what the

nervous system knows. Story follows state. Before the brain

understands and makes meaning of an experience, the autonomic

nervous system has assessed the situation and initiated a

response. Coined by Polyvagal Theory developer Stephen

Porges, neuroception describes how our autonomic nervous

system takes in information. This inner, subconscious surveillance

system gathers information through three pathways: inside

listening to what is happening in our internal organs, outside

scanning the environment, and between sensing the connection to

another nervous system. Through neuroception, we are

continuously broadcasting and receiving messages of welcome

and warning. In response to the information that we receive via

neuroception, the autonomic nervous system makes moment-to-

moment decisions about safety and survival, and we move from

state to state along the autonomic hierarchy.


Hierarchy


The autonomic nervous system responds to sensations in the body

and signals from the environment through three pathways of

response. These pathways work in a specified order and respond

to challenges in predictable ways called the autonomic hierarchy.

Each pathway brings its own set of thoughts, feelings, behaviors,

and bodily experiences. The three pathways (and their patterns of

response), in evolutionary order from oldest to newest, are the

dorsal vagus (immobilization), the sympathetic nervous system

(mobilization), and the ventral vagus (social engagement and

connection).


Ventral


At the top of the autonomic hierarchy, is the system of connection.

The ventral state is essential for health and wellbeing. In this state,

we feel grounded, organized, and ready to meet the day. Life feels

manageable; we see options, have hope, and hear new stories.

We connect to ourselves, to others, to the world around us, and to

Spirit. We are regulated and ready to engage. Our heart rate is

regulated and our breath is full. We take in the faces of friends,

tune in to conversations, and tune out distracting noises. We see

the big picture and connect to the world and the people in it. I

might describe myself as happy, active, interested and the world

as safe, fun, and peaceful. From this ventral vagal place at the top

of the autonomic ladder, I am connected to myself and can reach

out to others. Some of the daily living experiences in this state

include being organized, following through with plans, taking care

of myself, taking time to play, doing things with others, feeling

productive at work, and having a general feeling of regulation and

a sense of management. Health benefits include a healthy heart,

regulated blood pressure, a strong immune system decreasing my

vulnerability to illness, good digestion, quality sleep, and an overall

sense of well-being.


Sympathetic


Down one step on the hierarchy, is a system of mobilization. In its

everyday function, it helps regulate heart and breath rhythms and

brings us energy to move through the day. In its survival role, it

activates pathways of fight and flight and pulls us into anxiety and

anger. We go into action. Fight or flight happens here. In this state,

our heart rate speeds up, our breath is short and shallow, we scan

our environment looking for danger—we are “on the move.” I might

describe myself as anxious or angry and feel the rush of

adrenaline that makes it hard for me to be still. I am listening for

sounds of danger and don’t hear friendly voices. The world may

feel dangerous, chaotic, and unfriendly. From this place of

sympathetic mobilization—a step down the autonomic ladder — I

may believe, “The world is a dangerous place and I need to protect

myself from harm.” Some of the daily living problems can be

anxiety, panic attacks, anger, inability to focus or follow through,

and distress in relationships. Health consequences can include

heart disease; high blood pressure; high cholesterol; sleep

problems; weight gain; memory impairment; headache; chronic

neck, shoulder, and back tension; stomach problems; and

increased vulnerability to illness.


Dorsal


At the bottom of the hierarchy, in its everyday role regulates

digestion bringing nutrients to nourish us. When recruited in

service of survival, dorsal becomes a system of shutting down. We

feel drained, without enough energy to engage with the world. We

collapse, disconnect, and disappear. Here bottom of the hierarchy,

I am alone with my despair and escape into not knowing, not

feeling, almost a sense of not being. I might describe myself as

hopeless, abandoned, foggy, too tired to think or act and the world

as empty, dead, and dark. From this earliest place on the

evolutionary timeline, where my mind and body have moved into

conservation mode, I may believe, “I am lost and no one will ever

find me.” Some of the daily living problems can be dissociation,

problems with memory, depression, isolation, and no energy for

the tasks of daily living. Health consequences of this state can

include chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, digestive issues, low blood

pressure, and respiratory problems.

We regularly travel this hierarchy as we navigate the challenges of

daily living. In fact, none of us are always anchored in regulation.

That is an unreasonable and unachievable goal. Wellbeing comes

from a nervous system that moves out of ventral regulation into

sympathetic and dorsal dysregulation and finds the way back to

ventral. Moving out of regulation into sympathetic or dorsal

survival is not the problem. It is only when we move out of

regulation and get stuck there that we suffer.


Co-regulation


Co-regulation is necessary first to survive and then to thrive. It is a

biological imperative—a need that must be met to sustain life.

Through reciprocal regulation of our autonomic states, we feel safe

to move into connection and create trusting relationships. As we

grow, we add the ability to self-regulate, but we never lose the

need and the longing to be safely connected to others. Through

co-regulation, a foundation of safety is created, and nourishing

connections follow. Co-regulation creates a physiological platform

of safety that supports a psychological story of security that then

leads to social engagement. The autonomic nervous systems of

two individuals find sanctuary in a co-created experience of

connection. We live in a culture that encourages autonomy and

independence, and yet we need to remember that we are wired to

live in connection. Co-regulation is a necessary ingredient for

pphysical and emotional wellbeing. Throughout our lives we look

for, and long for, safe and reliable connections. hysical and

emotional wellbeing. Throughout our lives we look for, and long

for, safe and reliable connections.

physical and emotional wellbeing. Throughout our lives we

look for, and long for, safe and reliable connections.

Through a Polyvagal lens, we understand that actions are automatic and

adaptive, generated by the autonomic nervous system well below the level

of conscious awareness. This is not the brain making a cognitive choice,

these are autonomic energies moving in patterns of protection. And with

this new awareness, the door opens to compassion.


Origin Story


Out of Stephen Porges's brilliant work developing Polyvagal Theory in

the 70s, a worldwide community of Polyvagal-guided people and

systems have developed as we better understand the power of the

autonomic nervous system to guide our movements and shape our stories.


Deb Dana is a co-founder of The Polyvagal Institute with Stephen

Porges. In 2018 they co-authored Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal

Theory: The Emergence of Polyvagal-Informed Therapies (Norton, 2018).

 
 
 

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