You can’t rationalise the experience of feeling unsafe

Neuroception is one of the principles of Polyvagal theory. This simply means that the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) detects threat without our conscious awareness.

It responds to cues of safety, danger and life-threat from, inside the body, outside (the environment) and in relationships.

The autonomic states are classified as:

🔸Ventral Vagal : Neuroception of safety (connection, curiosity, social engagement)

🔸Sympathetic: Neuroception of danger ( take action, fight or flight). This is the first course of action when there is a perception of danger.

🔸Dorsal vagal: Neuroception of life-threat, shutdown, collapse. This state is activated when the Sympathetic (fight/flight) has not found ways to deal with the danger. When the danger is too great and becomes life threatening.

🔸Freeze: is a blend of Sympathetic and Dorsal vagal. It sits somewhere in between Sympathetic and Dorsal vagal.

🔸The other blended states are stillness (Ventral vagal + Dorsal vagal) and play (Ventral vagal + sympathetic).

To put it simply:

🔹Cues of safety = open possibility for change.

🔹Cues of danger = keep us stuck in old patterns (adaptive survival patterns).

If we have unresolved traumas in your system, you are (unconsciously) constantly seeing cues of danger everywhere. It is very hard to make positive lasting changes when your system is so concerned with safety.

That's why it is so important to embody safety at the somatic level. If you don’t feel anchored in your experience, pushing through using mindset and solution focused formulas will only frustrate and confuse you in the long run.

If you would like to start the deep inner healing process you are welcome to explore what I offer.