The Polyvagal Theory and Brain-Body Connection

Did you know that depending on how safe you feel, your body automatically can shift what you smell, see, hear, taste, and feel? When you feel unsafe, your system automatically changes your facial muscles, your voice, and even your ear muscles change the volume and frequency of what you hear! All of this is why when you feel upset with someone, you might even be misinterpreting their facial expressions and feel triggered into seeing them as a threat. 

There is so much to say about this subject, but let's begin by understanding the Vagus nerve's role. It's is our longest nerve of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) from the brainstem down to our organs. The Autonomic Nervous System's job is to keep us alive, and it regulates our heart rate, digestion, respiration, and blood pressure, among other things. It's automatic and not voluntary, although certain things can alter it, such as stress and sleep changes. 

Neuroception describes how our neural circuits continuously scan our environment for data to determine whether we are safe. It's instant and automatic and how we feel if we like or dislike something instantly and useful to add to our powerful instincts and intuition as HSPs. One problem is that modern society is full of things that can trigger an alarm bell response of danger (deadlines, financial stress, traffic, etc.), especially for HSPs. If our Neuroception is activated too frequently, the body starts to misinterpret danger even when there is no danger. Some research shows this can be the root cause of certain disorders, such as Anxiety, Depression, Autism, Reactive Attachment Disorder, and Schizophrenia.

The "Polyvagal Theory" was introduced in 1994 by Stephen Porges, director of the Brain-Body Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His research shows us the direct effect of the brain-body connection. Before Polyvagal theory, we thought our ANS had just two states, and his research has discovered a third type of nervous system response. His research is revolutionizing how we need to treat trauma physiologically instead of psychologically. 

Three stages of our ANS

1. The first state is the Social Communication or Social Engagement Engagement state, which evolved about 200 million years ago. In this state, we connect and relate, have empathy, and feel safe and secure. We will experience a slower heart-rate, saliva and digestion get stimulated, and even our facial muscles are activated, so we create more facial expressions, displaying more emotion. Our middle ear muscles even tune into a frequency that is good for hearing the human voice.

2. Mobilization is the second state, evolving about 400 million years ago and considered the danger zone, fight/flight state, where adrenaline and stress hormones are released. You experience an increased heart rate, flat facial affect, middle ear muscle shifts to change auditory perception to focus on low or high frequency, which happens to help you hear a predator. You feel tension and typically notice any pain in the body increases, particularly back pain. You even hear a different frequency and at a volume change! Empathy also gets turned off in this state, which is why you might notice you don't feel empathy for someone when you are upset.

3. Immobilization is the third state, evolving about 500 million years ago, also known as Dorsal Vagal Shutdown, our most primitive state, before language. Threats to life and trauma often trigger this stage. Your body sends an automatic signal to shut down or freeze, and why it's crucial to treat trauma as a physiological condition, not psychological, because this stage evolved even before language! You might feel sluggish, lack productivity, feel stuck in shame, and helpless in this state. Extended time in this state can change how you see the world, and it might be hard to connect with people and develop healthy relationships. Many people in this state experience digestive issues and often feel exhausted most of the time. Chronic health conditions and pain can develop or worsen. You might also see emotional outbursts in this state.

When we feel safe 

• We release feel-good hormones like oxytocin that helps us bond and connect and build immunity

• We are more productive

• We have greater access to learning and critical thinking

• We are more relaxed

• People tend to connect with us better

• Our health improves

When we don't feel safe

• We release stress hormones that impact our brain, making it harder to access critical thinking and creativity

• In this state, we may feel less productive, lethargic, and struggle with depletion

• Our brain can misinterpret the world, making it harder to develop and maintain healthy relationships

• We often suffer from long term health issues

What's interesting is that you cannot shift from stage three to one. If you are in shutdown, you must activate mobilization to enter stage two and activate calming centers to get to the first state. Fortunately, there are ways to train the brain to activate calming centers that deactivate stress centers! HSPs who take my brain training course often notice being able to get into the calmer state more easily with the crucial tools I teach. 

To move from stage three to stage two

If you are in a freeze state or shut down, you need to activate the fight/flight response before you can move into the calmest, safer state. Movement is a healthy way of doing that; perhaps going for a run, or another form of exercise and activity, or even punching a pillow could discharge the stress. 

To move from stage two to stage one

1. Breathing is the only autonomic state we control. We have sensors in our lungs, so when we slow our breathing, particularly exhaling slowly, it sends a signal to lower our heart rate, which has a calming effect. Long, slow exhales are an easy way to communicate to your brain it's ok to feel calm because you don't breathe that way when you are in danger. You might like to download my free Guide to Calm the Brain that teaches a breathing technique that lowers the heart rate and signals the brain to get calm.

2. Be around people and environments that make you feel safe, both at work and at home. You might enjoy joining my Sensitive Empowerment Community for a safe, supportive space. It's life-changing to be surrounded by other caring, sensitive people. We also teach how to set healthy boundaries and learn how to protect your energy. Our community will also hosted a live event, HSPs and The Polyvagal Theory of Stress, with Sukie Baxter to explore this subject more in-depth. You can watch the event via video or listen via audio.

3. Be present. When you are more aware of subtle shifts in your body, you can learn about early cues that help you know to use tools early, preventing you from activating the fight/flight or freeze response. For example, I notice a shift in my breathing when I'm stressed. I used to activate fight/flight almost daily until I learned how to catch early cues. I talk about how to do this more in my course, Brain Training for the Highly Sensitive Person, Techniques to Reduce Anxiety, and Overwhelming Emotions. It is life-changing, and I recommend reading what other HSPs have shared about their transformations after learning brain training. Many HSPs report improvement within the first week or two of the self-paced course. Meditation also helps us train our system to slow down. On The HSP Podcast, I have several free Meditations for HSPs you may enjoy.

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Julie Bjelland is a Psychotherapist, host of The HSP Podcast, and Founder of the Sensitive Empowerment Community, whose mission is to create a paradigm shift where sensitivity is embraced, valued and honored. Get a free guide to calm your brain, a letter to give your medical and mental health practitioners about high sensitivity and take the Sensitivity Quiz at JulieBjelland.com ❤️🌈❤️ (she/her)