ANS and Three Survival Responses
How did Darwin's observations of humans and animals foreshadow our understanding of the autonomic nervous system?
observations of sneers, snarls, and raised hair showed that humans share instinctive facial and bodily expressions with animals, hinting that our nervous system drives emotional survival behaviors
What is "neuroception"
Neuroception is the nervous system's automatic detection of safety, danger, or life threat without conscious awareness
What does the chapter say about prolonged avoidance or escape behaviors and their effect on reproduction, feeding, and mating in mammals?
Prolonged avoidance or escape behaviors protect short-term survival but harm long-term functions like feeding, reproduction, and social bonding.
What is the "pneumogastric nerve" (vagus) connect in the body, and why is this important for trauma responses?
The vagus nerve links the brain to the heart, lungs, gut, and facial muscles. This coordinates emotional state and bodily responses during trauma
Why are small acts of kindness and reciprocity so powerful for healing trauma?
small acts of kindness and reciprocity provide a buffer against trauma by creating feelings of safety and connection
When the sympathetic nervous system dominates (hyperarousal), what physical sensations and behaviors might a person experience?
In hyperarousal (SNS dominance), people may feel on edge, have rapid heartbeat and breathing, tight muscles, and heightened fear or rage.
Which branch of the vagus nerve is involved when someone collapses or "freezes" after a treat, and how does that response conserve energy?
The dorsal vagal complex (DVC); it slows metabolism and heart rate so the body can conserve energy during shutdown or collapse
How does heart rate variability (HRV) serve as an indicator of whether someone’s nervous system is able to shift back into a state of safety?
Heart-rate variability (HRV) shows how easily the nervous system can shift between arousal and calm; higher HRV means better regulation
When the dorsal vagal complex dominates (shutdown), how does it affect heart rate, digestion, and awareness?
In shutdown (DVC dominance), heart rate and metabolism drop, digestion slows, breathing becomes shallow, and awareness narrows or disappears.
What does the Polyvagal Theory explain?
The chapter mentions that babies’ emotional systems synchronize with caregivers’ voices and facial expressions. How does this early social engagement relate to adult healing from trauma?
Early synchrony between caregiver and baby (eye contact, voice, touch) builds the foundation for self-regulation and later resilience.
Why does the chapter argue that “bad behavior” in traumatized children may be a nervous-system state rather than simple defiance?
Porges argues that what looks like “bad behavior” may be a nervous-system state—children in defensive states can’t easily access calm or engagement.
The plane crash examples show that the ANS is flexible; some people stay organized and rescue others (ventral vagal), some panic, and some collapse (dorsal vagal)
Yoga, breathing, and martial arts are described as “bottom-up” methods. How do these practices help reorganize the nervous system compared with purely “top-down” talk therapy?
Bottom-up practices like yoga, mindful breathing, or martial arts directly calm the body’s arousal systems and strengthen the vagal pathways, making it easier to return to safety than talk therapy alone.
How do body-based interventions (like breathwork or gentle movement) help people move out of stuck hyperarousal or shutdown patterns and back toward social engagement?
Body-based interventions re-train the nervous system by activating safety cues, slowing breathing, and gently mobilizing the body, helping people leave stuck patterns of hyperarousal or collapse and return to social engagement.