Part (I) to this article is here
7 Central Aspects of Polyvagal Theory (PVT) and The Three States (II)
PVT is rolling off tips of tongues on social media and elsewhere. Courses such as ‘The Polyvagal Miracle’ and ‘Be Wise:Tune Into Your Vagus Nerve’ are springing up everywhere.
1. What is Polyvagal Theory (PVT)?
Dr. Stephen Porges, (world-renowned researcher and PVT creator and developer): “Polyvagal Theory explains how our body responds to safety, threat, and social engagement, shaping our physiological and emotional experiences.”
PVT focuses attention on the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the vagus nerve to describe their involvement in governing our daily behaviour, our way of experiencing life, and consequently, our wellness and mental health.
The Polyvagal Institute: ‘By applying Polyvagal Theory to our personal lives as well as …medicine, education, and management, we…understand how safety, co-regulation, and connection are paramount to a healthy human experience.’
2. Three Guiding Principles of Polyvagal Theory
Hierarchy
The 3 states are hierarchical, meaning they move us from state 3 to 2 to 1 and reverse. This is biology. It’s not our brain making a conscious choice to do this.
Neuroception
Dr. Stephen Porges invented this term to refer to the surveillance system within ANS that operates below our conscious awareness and cues the activation of one of the three states. Through our senses, ANS is continually scanning and scrutinising the environment within our bodies, outside our bodies, looking for cues of safety or danger. Is this person safe to connect with? Is there danger lurking behind that tree? Will it be safe to speak up at a work meeting? etc
Co-regulation
Dr. Stephen Porges: ‘Co-regulation is a biological imperative,‘ a scientific way of saying we need people we can connect with and have reciprocal relationships with to survive.
Co-regulation is at the core of our relationships. Co-regulating means our nervous systems send, and receive, signals of safety between us. We connect and feel free from danger thus nurturing and regulating each other in the course of our connection. Co-regulating responses support mutual emotional and physical safety, e.g. friendly, warm tone of voice, being authentically present, ‘seeing’ each other etc. This brings us back into social engagement, enabling us to move through our experience.
Co-regulation can be challenging for people whose experience of others may not always have been safe, compassionate or kind.
3. Are We Missing Out If We Don’t Learn About Polyvagal Theory?
Deb Dana, an international lecturer on polyvagal theory-informed work, says yes, we are missing out on important information available to us. We might imagine we understand what makes us tick but she invites us: ‘…to go deeper…to understand our patterns of protection that have been wired in.’
Understanding the biology of our experience of life means: ‘…we can shape patterns of connection…‘
Our experience of life arises from the three states. Becoming more aware of ANS means we can develop skills to flow effectively between states.
4. What Is Flowing Effectively Between States?
- Knowing how ANS operates allows us to develop flexibility to move through and between the three states with resilience and ease. We recognise that staying in social-engagement, continuously, isn’t the objective.
- Being adept at noticing which state we’re in, and the triggers that indicate we’re leaving social engagement, means we can devise skills to avoid overstaying in defensive, survival
5. ANS Can Sometimes Gets Things Wrong!
ANS has a photographic memory, storing imprints and scars from past traumatic events in our bodies, blocking energy and forming our knee-jerk instant responses, triggers, impulses in stressful situations. ANS can dysregulate if our defence and survival states become repeatedly or chronically engaged and see danger where there isn’t danger, and confuse our bodies, causing us to get stuck in survival states, unable to communicate effectively.
Dr. Glenn Patrick Doyle: ‘We’re not ourselves when we’re triggered – we become who we think we need to be to survive. And when we’re constantly being triggered, our identity can start to slip away — because our personality and values are constantly getting hijacked by fight-or-flight reflexes…‘
6. We Experience Life Differently in Each State
Using the activity ‘Going Shopping’ as an example, we witness how each state causes us to experience the same activity in different ways.
- Social Engagement:g. Looking forward to shopping. Hoping to connect with others. Going slowly, being relaxed and present.
- Fight/Flight: g Shopping quickly to get it over with. Being grumpy and combative. Feeling everyone’s against us.
- Immobilisation: e.g. Feeling slow, lethargic. Hoping not to meet anyone. Making excuses not to go.
7. Applying Polyvagal Theory to Everyday Life
A. Self-Regulation
By giving attention to body sensations, triggers, impulses and responses, we get acquainted with the three states.
1. Identify What Each State Looks Like for You
Keep an ANS journal to document experiences of the 3 states. Form a group of friends to explore together.
- What kind of situations or stimuli trigger your entry into each state?
- How do you feel about yourself and the world when you are in each state?
- What triggers/impulses/sensations do you get in your body when you feel a change of state coming on?
- How do you feel during those triggers/impulses/sensations?
2. Exploring Clues Indicating You Are Leaving Social Engagement
- What feelings and thoughts might you have?
- What events/people/places/incidents might cause you to leave?
3. What Person/Place/Object/Activity Helps You Return to Social Engagement?
A person to think of or be with.
A place e.g. favourite view.
An object you connect with calm e.g. a pet, a beach pebble.
An activity e.g. dancing…
4. Listen to the Body‘s Messages and Ask ‘What Do You Want Me to Know?’
Activating the vagus nerve helps us feel present and safe, enabling us to notice triggers, impulses, sensations that guide us to follow our gut instinct, self-soothe and gain self-awareness and insights.
- Voice, eyes and neck activities. Other body movements. Using the 5 senses. Connection with pets/people, nature….e.g. yoga, singing, humming, massage, gardening, cooking, drumming, ..
- Breath – a longer exhale and sighing
- Meditation
- Nature activates safety, connection,
B) Co-Regulation
Being with others can soothe our nervous systems and promote social connections while exercising our social engagement system. e.g. a photo walk, heart-to-heart chats, laughter, a sing-a-long…
C) Work with a Trauma-Informed Professional
Deb Dana’s book Polyvagal Theory in Therapy has been invaluable in adopting PVT as a trauma therapy. She’s created the concept of ‘befriending the nervous system.’ See above for examples of activities.
PVT therapy assists in re-shaping the ways ANS operates when our motivation to survive clashes and contends with our yearning to connect with others.
To conclude, considering the role of our body in our mental wellbeing revamps our understanding of our lived experience, our behaviours and healing trajectories.
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgement and gratefulness to Innate Evolution Accredited Training Academy (Rudi Kennard and Julianne Del-Cano Kennard) for their courses on Wholality® (wholeness of being) and Trauma).
Bibliography
- Deb Dana, LCSW – https://www.rhythmofregulation.com/about
- Julianne Del-Cano Kennard – https://innateevolution.com https://facebook.com/reel/457159253463542 – https://buff.ly/3V4pIX1
- Glenn Patrick Doyle – https://www.insighttherapysolutions.com/clinicians/ glenn-doyle
- Stephen Porges – https://www.stephenporges.com https:// www.polyvagalinstitute.org/whatispolyvagaltheory
- Peter Levine – https://www.somaticexperiencing.com/home
- Gabor Maté – https://drgabormate.com
- Bessel Van Der Kolk MD – https://besselvanderkolk.com
- https://vox.com/the-highlight/22876522/trauma-covid-word-origin-mental-health
Support Our Campaign
We rely on the generosity of the public to fund our work and so far together we have achieved great things! Please do continue to support us so we can provide future generations in Ireland with the resources to recognise and talk about their emotions, and equip them to navigate the ever-changing world around them as they grow
