Polyvagal Theory: The Fascinating World of the Science of Safety

Are you looking to find out about Polyvagal theory?

If so, you are in the right place.

Today, I will guide you through the fascinating world of Polyvagal theory, equipping you with practical knowledge that has the potential to transform your life.

Understanding and applying this theory allows you to manage stress, improve social interactions, and enhance overall well-being.

Let’s delve into the fascinating concept of the Polyvagal ladder.

We’ll learn how it can help us understand our body’s responses to stress, how we can use the vagus nerve to promote relaxation, and how co-regulation can enrich our social connections.

Let us begin by talking about the origins of Polyvagal theory.

The origins of Polyvagal theory

Polyvagal theory, the brainchild of Dr. Stephen Porges, has advanced and revolutionized our understanding of the human nervous system and its complex responses to stress and social interactions.

Before the polyvagal theory, scientists thought our nervous system acted in a binary manner, like a light switch, with our stress response on or off.

The binary model

According to this theory, a threat causes our autonomic nervous system to activate a fight-or-flight response, and once the threat is gone, we return to feeling safe and calm.

Dr. Porges recognized that the binary model fails to explain our diverse responses to stress.

The Polyvagal theory acknowledges the complexity of our nervous system and understands that our reactions to stress are varied and nuanced.

This understanding can help you feel validated in your own experiences.

Three-part Hierarchy of Polyvagal Theory

Instead of the binary model, Dr Porges proposed a three-part part hierarchy, like a ladder.

At the top of the ladder is the ventral vagal state or social engagement.

The ventral vagal state is one of safety where we can emotionally relate and connect to others.

In this state, we can feel more open, peaceful and curious.

Moving down one rung, we get to the sympathetic activation.

Sympathetic activation is a defensive state in which our nervous system mobilizes our body for fight-or-flight to deal with a threat quickly.

When we mobilize our body, our heart beats faster, our breathing becomes fast and shallow, our muscles tense, and stress hormones flood our body.

At the bottom of the ladder is the dorsal vagal shutdown.

When our nervous system is intensely activated, and we still can not deal with the threat, a protective part shuts down or freezes, like a turtle withdrawing into its shell.

We may flop to the floor and curl up in a ball.

Furthermore, our heart rate, blood pressure, and facial expressions decrease.

We also may have difficulty thinking and speaking clearly, and we can feel numb, dizzy, or disconnected.

Let’s introduce the Polyvagal ladder with a simple, relatable example.

The Polyvagal Theory Ladder in action

You are at home enjoying a video call with an old friend.

You are in a ventral vagal state and feel safe and able to connect and empathize with others.

A loud crash upstairs startles you.

Your sympathetic nervous system responds to the potential threat by mobilizing your body for fight-or-flight.

Your pupils dilate, your breathing shallower, and your heart beats faster.

Alternatively, you might respond by entering a dorsal state, a last-resort survival mechanism of playing dead.

You become still and hold your breath.

You are unable to communicate with your friend or take any action.

Whether your nervous system goes into a sympathetic or dorsal state will depend on a range of factors, not least your previous life experiences.

Let’s now explore the role of the vagus nerve in polyvagal theory.

The role of the vagus nerve

Another critical aspect of Polyvagal theory is the vagus nerve’s role, which is crucial in our body’s stress response system.

In Latin, vagus means wandering, and true to its name, the vagus nerve wanders from the brain stem throughout the body, regulating many bodily functions, including heart rate, breathing, digestion, and immune function.

The vagus nerve is responsible for the body’s rest and digest response, as opposed to the fight-or-flight response of the sympathetic nervous system.

There are two branches to the vagus nerve: ventral, meaning front, and dorsal, meaning back.

An excellent way to understand the difference is to think of the ventral as a footbrake that slows you down, allowing you to enter a calm and safe place.

The dorsal is like an emergency brake that immediately stops you in your tracks.

The vagus nerve is part of the parasympathetic nervous system, part of the autonomic nervous system.

Don’t worry too much about these technical details.

What’s important is that the vagus nerve plays a crucial role in keeping us safe and alive.

Let’s now look at the role of neuroception in Polyvagal theory.

Neuroception

The vagus nerve keeps you safe and alive by using neuroception, which works like an internal smoke detector for cues to safety and danger.

Before you have time to think, your body’s neuroception has already scanned your environment, and your nervous system uses this information to change your heart rate, breathing, and muscle tension via the vagus nerve.

Neuroception takes place automatically and without involving the thinking part of your brain.

It’s why you might feel uneasy in a situation without consciously knowing why.

Neuroception is essential to survival, allowing us to react rapidly to threats and social interactions.

Let’s now look at the role of co-regulation in Polyvagal theory.

Co-regulation

Co-regulation is another core component of polyvagal theory and is fundamental to feeling safe and secure in relationships.

The autonomic nervous system does not work in isolation and is regulated through connections with other nervous systems.

These nervous systems support and influence each other through the mutual sending and receiving signals for safety.

Emotional and physiological states like heart rate and breathing synchronize through co-regulation.

When we feel safe and supported by others, our autonomic nervous system can better manage stress and emotional responses.

This understanding is why polyvagal theory is sometimes called the science of safety.

Co-regulation begins in the womb when an unborn baby hears its mother’s voice, which becomes a comforting sound.

As infants, they associate the voice with other comforting cues, such as a parent’s smile, and as toddlers, they learn to rely on their parents for co-regulation whenever they feel distressed.

Even when we learn to self-regulate, we continue to seek co-regulation to feel safe, calm and connected to others.

Co-regulation can be more difficult for those who have experienced chronic stress or past emotional trauma as they find it harder to establish a sense of safety.

Faulty interoception, that is, the inability to accurately assess whether a situation is safe or dangerous, can cause us to be hardwired to experience threat, stress, and anxiety, even when we are safe.

Consequently, we can become locked in a protective fight-or-flight or shutdown state, unable to connect with others.

If we do not have a safe relationship, we can return to the ventral vagal state with safe therapeutic relationships and exercises that activate the vagus nerve.

Even micro-moments of peace or joy, known as glimmers, can help us return to a ventral vagal state faster.

Let’s now look at the role of vagal toning in Polyvagal theory.

Vagal toning

Like muscle toning, increasing vagal tone can help us cope better with stress and return to the ventral vagal state quicker.

Here are some ways to activate the vagus nerve.

Breathwork

Breathing deeply and slowly from the diaphragm stimulates the vagus nerve.

Research has shown that breathing techniques such as box breathing and physiological sighing lower blood pressure and heart rate.

Gargling

The vagus nerve innervates muscles at the back of the throat.

Gargling contracts these muscles of the pallet and stimulates the vagus nerve.

Singing, humming and chanting

Vibrations caused by singing, humming, and chanting stimulate the vagus nerve, which innervates the vocal cords and the inner ear and increases heart rate variability.

Cold exposure

Exposing our body to cold stimulates the vagus nerve.

Cold showers, splashing your face with cold water, or a blast of cold air from an air conditioning unit can help lessen the fight-or-flight response and increase the rest and digest response.

Exercise and Movement

Vigorous movement (like walking and running), weightlifting and somatic exercises are excellent for vagal tone.

Laughter

Laughter induces diaphragmatic breathing, stimulating the vagus, lowering blood pressure and improving mood.

Meditation

Body scan meditation can also activate the vagus nerve.

Self havening

Self-havening is a technique that involves the touch of hands, upper arms, and face.

Now it is over to you

I hope you found this helpful blog.

If you have any questions about polyvagal theory, I will do my best to answer them in the comments below.