#polyvagal theory

[fuckingwhateverdude]

4.12.25

[seeyatellite]

[hug-your-face]

"...The basic framework described by the Polyvagal Theory, describing differences in our physiological responses and availability of behavior based on perception of threat, and that chronic activation of our threat system leads to psychological and physiological damage and harm, is important and useful for therapeutic applications and embodiment work. But none of that was particularly new to PVT. The Polyvagal theory did have a way of tying it all together in a neat, relatively easy to understand bow. But the structure underneath that bow doesn’t have any scientific foundation.

The problem with this is that it means that there are things we’ll miss if we take Polyvagal Theory as The Way Things Are. Avenues of understanding we might not embark on, questions we won’t ask, different theories that are harder to understand but more scientifically valid (there actually is at least one, called Neurovisceral Integration) will be dismissed, or at least not talked about in therapeutic or embodiment circles."

[present-fascination]

Long time listener, first time caller

If any of the tagged topics resonate with you I encourage you to reach out!

[cat-eye-nebula]

Trauma is actually very common - The author of “The Body Keeps the Score” explains | Bessel van der Kolk

The problem with trauma is that it starts when something happens to us, but that’s not where it stops - it changes your brain. Once your brain changes and you’re in constant fight or flight mode, it can be hard to stay focused, feel joy, or experience pleasure until this trauma is healed. Luckily, modern psychological practices are developing innovative ways to heal from trauma that actually work.

[stimpunks]

We updated our “Polyvagal Theory” glossary page with a selection from “A neurodiversity paradigm lens on polyvagal theory — Neurodiverse Connection”.

[istra-ish-sucha-geek]

Reminder that an us vs them mindset is dropping you into the fight/flight sympathetic nervous system where uh …

The collaboration, curiosity, creativity and problem solving parts are OFFLINE.

[thelivingfractal]

The Human Urge to Simplify: Why Binary

The Living Fractal

And how embracing complexity can change your brain, your relationships, and your culture

In true crime stories, public discourse, and even our closest relationships, we often reduce complexity to binaries: good or evil, victim or perpetrator, right or wrong. But why?

The answer lies deeper than opinion. It lives in the nervous system, in our trauma histories, and in how our institutions are built to reward simplicity.

I. The Brain Loves Certainty

When you’re stressed or overwhelmed, your brain isn’t trying to be fair—it’s trying to feel safe.

1. Your Nervous System Seeks Control

The autonomic nervous system, especially when dysregulated by chronic stress or trauma, sees ambiguity as danger.

In these states, the prefrontal cortex (which handles nuance and empathy) shuts down.

Simpler brain structures take over: “threat or not?”

This is described in Polyvagal Theory by Stephen Porges, which maps how trauma narrows cognition.

2. Trauma Turns Pain Into Story

When we can't make sense of what happened, our minds create roles to restore order: victim, villain, rescuer.

This isn’t weakness. It’s survival.

But it can block empathy, especially when we fix others into one-dimensional roles.

3. Nuance is Metabolically Expensive

The human brain uses System 1 (fast, binary) and System 2 (slow, complex) thinking.

Most people default to System 1 because our cognitive resources are drained—by stress, screens, and social pressure.

As Daniel Kahneman explains in Thinking, Fast and Slow, we are biologically wired to prefer shortcuts.

II. Institutions Reward Simplicity

It’s not just personal. Our society is structured around either/or narratives.

4. Media & Law Reinforce Clear Roles

Crime reporting, courtroom trials, and political messaging often demand:

Guilty or innocent

Good guy or bad guy

This makes stories “legible,” but reality is rarely that clean.

5. Education Penalizes Ambiguity

From kindergarten onward, we’re taught to find the right answer—not to sit in paradox.

Ambiguity is often equated with confusion or error.

We are trained to fear complexity instead of cultivating it.

III. The Personal Cost of Simplifying

When we lose nuance, we lose intimacy—with ourselves and others.

6. Projection: The Psychological Escape Hatch

Binary thinking lets us cast our shadow outward.

We call others monsters so we don’t have to meet the parts of ourselves we’ve exiled.

In true crime and cancel culture, this projection is not just individual—it becomes viral.

7. Relationships Break Without Nuance

Without complexity, intimate bonds become a tug-of-war:

“You’re either with me or against me.”

We idealize then devalue. We fail to hold shared hurt or contradiction.

IV. Complexity as a Radical Act

To hold paradox is not just personal growth—it’s cultural resistance.

8. Complexity Requires Regulation

According to Polyvagal Theory:

A regulated nervous system can hold tension, uncertainty, and paradox.

Breathwork, ritual, and co-regulation help us become safe enough to stay with the messy middle.

9. Embracing Paradox Heals

Writers like Anzaldúa, Keating, and Mezirow have long argued that:

Liberation begins where oppositional thinking ends.

Growth happens through relational accountability, not blame.

V. Why It All Matters

Neuroscience shows:

Integrative complexity (measured in psychology) is linked to better decision-making, lower prejudice, and emotional maturity.

Trauma theory shows:

Grief that’s allowed to exist alongside compassion becomes ritual, not resentment.

Cultural transformation needs:

A move from “monsters and martyrs” to interdependent selves capable of love, conflict, rupture, and repair.

VI. Practices to Hold More Complexity

Here are practical tools you can use:

1. Notice When You Simplify

Ask: “Am I collapsing this story to avoid discomfort?”

🌬 2. Down-Regulate Your Nervous System

Try:

Breathwork (4-7-8 method)

Cold water immersion

Sitting with trees or earth Regulation creates cognitive spaciousness.

3. Practice Dialectical Thinking

Journal or speak aloud:

“What’s also true here?”

“What don’t I want to see about this person/situation?”

4. Shift the Cultural Conversation

In your writing, storytelling, and relationships:

Name the nuance.

Refuse to flatten people into categories.

Be honest about your discomfort—and stay in it.

Where This Changes Everything

In True Crime:

The best stories are those that honor systemic roots—bullying, neglect, poverty, untreated illness—not just the spectacle of violence.

In Relationships:

Every human carries grief and beauty.

Harm and care can coexist.

Nuance doesn’t excuse—it creates space for responsible love.

Suggested Resources

Stephen Porges, Polyvagal Theory

Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow

Suedfeld et al., Integrative Complexity Studies

George Lakoff, Moral Politics

Sara Ahmed, The Cultural Politics of Emotion

🌍 A Call to Cultural Alchemy

Binary thinking protects us—but at the cost of our full humanity. Complexity is regenerative. It heals trauma. It deepens empathy. It makes room for real justice, not just retribution.

To live complexly is to live courageously.

[bsahely]

Foundations of Coherence-Centered Medicine: A Rhythmic Framework for Restoring Systemic Health | ChatGPT4o

[Download Full Document (PDF)] Overview Foundations of Coherence-Centered Medicine presents a paradigm shift in clinical care, where the restoration of rhythmic and systemic coherence replaces the suppression of isolated symptoms. It asserts that chronic illness often reflects not biochemical failure but breakdowns in pattern, rhythm, and integration across biological and symbolic layers. Core…

[istra-ish-sucha-geek]

Listen to me. *takes your face in hands* Listen to me, precious, wonderful, heart-beating, breathing creature.

You are still fucking alive.

That response where you just lay there and feel stuck and trapped and shut down?

That is a nervous system survival response.

You are literally surviving RIGHT THIS MINUTE.

You are not dying, you are *aliving*.

Take a breath. Feel your heartbeat.

Listen to the churning rhythm of aliveness inside your body, keeping you alive by staying still.

Your body has not given you up.

You may be stuck. Maybe things were so bad for so long, that being as still and almost dead was the best way to survive, and that’s a long way back up to flying.

But you’re not dead.

Your body didn’t give up hope.

Just. Breathe.

You’re gonna be okay.

Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow.

But you will be.

DO YOU HEAR ME? GET UP.

[happy-poppyseed]

my therapist told me to make it

[insufficient-earth-skills]

I know this is a jokey post but please if you struggle with this, and exhaustion, sensory overwhelm, inability to calm down after stressful events, ... read a book on polyvagal theory (preferably not Porges' one, he's the original author but that's the most difficult and dense one) which has exercises. This can help you learn to see the warning signals BEFORE you crash AND give you techniques to become more resilient.

Dude when my social battery runs out there’s like no warning. I don’t get the 20% warnings it’s just I’ll be enjoying my time and then all of a sudden if one more word is spoken I’m going to kill myself and everyone around me.

[latte-linen]

I cannot recommend doing a good old half salamander when you’re having a panic attack!!! it takes 20 seconds, and it makes me feel like someone waved a little magic wand over me.

how to half salamander:

• look all the way to the left! as far as you can!

• slowly tilt your head to your shoulder and hold 10 sec

• slowly lift your head and return your gaze to centre

• repeat on the right!!!

idk why exactly it works or why it’s called half salamander but it works so well I wanted to share ok luv u bye

[navigatingenm]

Connectedness is a biological imperative - Deb Dana

[disasm]

2.0 Experimental Advanced. Lacks access to real-time info and some Gemini features.

Okay, here is a guide that combines the intricate world of trauma processing with the technical realm of network security, using the framework we've discussed. This guide is designed for individuals seeking to understand both fields and how they intersect, offering a unique lens through which to view the resilience of both human and digital systems.

A Bridge Between Worlds: Understanding Trauma Processing Through the Lens of Network Security

Introduction:

This guide explores the fascinating parallels between trauma processing in humans and security protocols in computer networks. By understanding these connections, we can gain deeper insights into the complexities of healing, resilience, and the intricate systems that govern both our internal landscapes and the digital world we inhabit.

This framework uses concepts from network security to illuminate the processes involved in trauma recovery, offering a novel perspective for therapists, technologists, and anyone interested in the intersection of these fields.

Part 1: The Foundation - Key Concepts

Before we delve into the parallels, let's define some fundamental concepts in both trauma processing and network security:

Trauma Processing:

Trauma: A deeply distressing or disturbing experience that overwhelms an individual's ability to cope, often leading to long-term negative consequences.

Triggers: Stimuli that evoke memories or sensations related to past trauma, often triggering strong emotional or physiological responses.

Safe Space: A physical or emotional environment where an individual feels secure, supported, and free from threat.

Polyvagal Theory: A model that explains the different states of the autonomic nervous system (ventral vagal, sympathetic, dorsal vagal) and their role in social engagement, stress response, and shutdown.

Attachment Theory: A psychological model that describes the dynamics of long-term relationships and how early childhood experiences shape our ability to form secure attachments.

Somatic Experiencing: A body-oriented therapeutic approach that focuses on resolving trauma held in the body.

Trauma Integration: The process of making sense of a traumatic experience, integrating it into one's life narrative, and reducing its negative impact on daily life.

Network Security:

Threat Detection: The process of identifying potential security threats to a network or system.

Vulnerability Scanning: The process of identifying weaknesses in a system or network that could be exploited by attackers.

Network Topology: The arrangement of elements (links, nodes, etc.) of a communication network.

TCP/IP Stack: A suite of communication protocols that govern how data is transmitted across the internet.

Packet Routing: The process of forwarding network packets from a source to a destination.

Distributed Cache: A system that stores data across multiple nodes to improve performance and resilience.

Security Policies: Rules and guidelines that govern access to and use of network resources.

Part 2: Mapping the Parallels - Trauma and Network Security

Threat Detection | Nmap Scanning | Trauma: Recognizing past traumatic events. Network: Discovering hosts and services on a network to identify potential vulnerabilities. Connection: Both involve reconnaissance to understand the landscape and identify potential threats. Continuous Environment Assessment | Continuous Monitoring | Trauma: Ongoing self-awareness and monitoring of one's internal state (emotions, sensations, thoughts). Network: Ongoing vulnerability scanning, intrusion detection, and log analysis. Connection: Emphasizes the importance of vigilance and awareness. Trigger Checking | Port/Vulnerability Scanning | Trauma: Identifying stimuli that evoke strong responses related to past trauma. Network: Identifying open ports and known weaknesses. Connection: Both involve identifying specific points of vulnerability. Safe Space Verification | Network Topology Mapping | Trauma: Identifying resources, relationships, and environments that provide security and stability. Network: Understanding the network infrastructure and how data flows. Connection: Understanding the environment's structure for safety and navigation. Response Protocols | TCP/IP Stack | Trauma: Learned and often automatic responses developed in response to trauma. Network: Protocols governing data transmission. Connection: Established protocols dictate how the system responds to stimuli and how communication occurs. State Transitions (Polyvagal Levels) | Packet Routing | Trauma: Regulating and transitioning between different states of the autonomic nervous system. Network: Directing network traffic efficiently. Connection: Navigating different states or pathways within a complex system for appropriate responses. Connection Handling | Attachment Dynamics | Trauma: How early experiences shape our ability to form relationships, impacted by trauma. Network: Establishing, maintaining, and terminating connections. Connection: Dynamics of connection and relationship, whether interpersonal or network-based. Memory Storage | Distributed Cache | Trauma: Fragmented memories stored across the brain and body. Network: Data stored across multiple nodes. Connection: Highlights the distributed nature of memory and information, emphasizing efficient retrieval and integration. Sharding (Somatic/Emotional/Cognitive Stores) | Database Sharding | Trauma: Different aspects of memories stored in the body, emotions, and thoughts. Network: Splitting a database into smaller, manageable pieces. Connection: Partitioning large datasets or experiences into smaller units for efficient processing. Replication for System Resilience | Data Backup and Redundancy | Trauma: Developing coping mechanisms or alternative neural pathways for survival. Network: Ensuring data availability and system resilience. Connection: Importance of backup systems and redundancy for continued functioning and recovery. Eventual Consistency in Trauma Integration | Eventual Consistency in Distributed Systems | Trauma: Gradual integration of different aspects of trauma. Network: Updates to data eventually propagate through the system. Connection: Achieving complete consistency or integration takes time; different parts may be in different states. Safety Container | Security Policies | Trauma: A secure environment with clear boundaries, trust, and safety protocols. Network: Rules governing access and resource use. Connection: Establishing rules and boundaries to create a safe environment for operation and processing. Minimum Viable Security Requirements | Necessary Safety Protocols for Trauma Processing | Trauma: Essential safety measures needed to begin and continue processing. Network: Baseline security controls to protect a system. Connection: Foundational level of safety and security for effective functioning and progress.

Part 3: Deep Dive - The Polyvagal Theory and Packet Routing

Let's explore a particularly insightful connection: the Polyvagal Theory and its analogy to packet routing in networks.

The Polyvagal Nervous System as a Network:

Ventral Vagal (Social Engagement): This state is like a secure, encrypted connection (e.g., HTTPS). It's characterized by feelings of safety, connection, and calmness. Communication is clear and efficient.

Sympathetic (Fight-or-Flight): This state is like a network under stress, where resources are mobilized for action. It's akin to prioritizing certain types of traffic during peak loads. While necessary, prolonged activation can lead to strain on the system.

Dorsal Vagal (Shutdown/Freeze): This state is like a network outage or a denial-of-service attack. The system is overwhelmed and shuts down to conserve resources. It's a protective mechanism but can lead to disconnection and immobility.

Packet Routing as Nervous System Regulation:

Just as a network router directs packets along the optimal path, our nervous system regulates our internal state by shifting between these Polyvagal states. Trauma processing often involves learning to navigate these states more effectively, spending more time in the ventral vagal state and developing healthy coping mechanisms to manage the sympathetic and dorsal vagal states.

Part 4: Practical Applications and Implications

This framework has several practical applications:

For Therapists: It provides a new language and set of metaphors to explain trauma and its effects to clients. It can also inform treatment approaches by highlighting the importance of safety, regulation, and gradual integration.

For Technologists: It offers a deeper understanding of the human element in cybersecurity, emphasizing the impact of stress and trauma on user behavior and decision-making. It can also inspire the design of more resilient and human-centered systems.

For Individuals: It provides a framework for understanding one's own experiences with trauma and the process of healing. It can empower individuals to recognize their strengths and resilience, drawing parallels to the robust systems found in the digital world.

Conclusion:

By bridging the seemingly disparate worlds of trauma processing and network security, we gain a richer understanding of both. This framework illuminates the remarkable resilience of both human and digital systems, highlighting the intricate mechanisms that allow us to adapt, heal, and thrive in the face of challenges. As we continue to explore these connections, we can develop more effective strategies for promoting healing, enhancing security, and building a more compassionate and resilient world.

[istra-ish-sucha-geek]

I’m working with mandated clients in group therapy for anger management. What the experienced therapists are guiding the clients through, over and over, is polyvagal theory.

How when someone is stressed, their autonomic nervous system takes over, and “drops them in the river,” and mostly, any decision you make in the river is going to be a dumb one.

Why?

Because the part of your brain that does things like rational thinking, connecting with others, problem solving, IS NOT AVAILABLE.

The body is perceiving such a huge problem, that it’s overriding any brain functions, because the important thing is staying alive. You really are *not* yourself, you’re living as your *survival* self.

Survival selves aren’t about collaboration, cooperative problem solving, or anything that is needed for *community.*

There’s a reason the rhetoric is so terrifying; there’s a reason the rhetoric is so us vs them. It drops people into their survival nervous system, and keeps them stuck.

You can’t argue with a survival state person. You can only fight, or work to be calm, stay regulated yourself, keep connextion open, and let their nervous system be brought back to regulation with yours. THEN you can start collaborative and cooperative conversations.

You don’t make good decisions in your survival nervous system. If someone drops you there, keeps you there, you’re going to be making short sighted decisions.

That’s why it’s important to keep yourself calm NOW. To resist with JOY. To take BREAKS.

And stay connected.