Polyvagal Theory 101
An ink drawing of the vagus nerve connecting to the brain.
Polyvagal Theory is an important therapeutic resource for all clients and therapists alike. Using neuroscience and physiological data, it helps to both explain & normalize our most core human protective responses—fight, flight, freeze, and fawn—allowing us to move past shame and into understanding, acceptance, increased connection, and expanded access to agency and choice.
With the development of Polyvagal Theory, Stephen Porges provided a modern map of the territory of the autonomic nervous system and a new understanding of the ways it shapes moment-to-moment experiences of connection and protection.
Initially proposed by Dr. Stephen Porges in 1994, Polyvagal Theory is an evolutionary, neuroscientific, and psychological framework that emphasizes the role of the vagus nerve, a key part of the parasympathetic nervous system, in emotional regulation, social connection, and fear response.
The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the body, stretching from the brain to the large intestine—imagine something similar to a tree, whose limbs interact with nearly every organ system in the body.
The vagus nerve is sometimes referred to as an “information superhighway,” as it picks up information about how our organs are functioning and also sends information from the brain stem back down to the body, helping to control digestion, heart rate, voice, mood, and our immune system.
The word “vagus” comes from Latin and means wandering, describing the way this nerve wanders through the body, connecting the brain stem to organs and cells, allowing communication to flow.
The vagus nerve plays a central role in the three core organizing principles of Polyvagal Theory—Autonomic Hierarchy, Neuroception, and Co-regulation.
The three organizing principles of Polyvagal Theory:
1. Autonomic Hierarchy
The autonomic nervous system is a part of our bodies that works automatically, like a "behind-the-scenes" manager. It controls important bodily functions—like our heartbeat, breathing, digestion, and how we react to danger or stress—without us having to think about them.
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) has three main parts, each with its own set of protective actions. In Polyvagal Theory, the “hierarchy of response” directly reflects the evolutionary development of these systems, as well as dictates why & how our systems respond to any perceived external threat.
ANS Part 1: The earliest system to develop some 500 million years ago is the dorsal vagal complex (DVC).
The DVC takes over in situations of extreme danger or life-threat via strategies of shut down or immobilization (i.e., “freeze” or “fawn”).
In the “freeze” response, fear is a driving emotion. The desire to run or fight is overshadowed by a sense of immobilization coming from dorsal vagal activation.
In “fawn” mode, you have entered complete dorsal vagal shutdown. You are no longer looking for ways to survive (“fight” or “flight”) and instead enter a state of physical and emotional collapse, most likely experiencing absent-mindedness, dissociation, and/or depersonalization.
ANS Part 2: The sympathetic nervous system (SNS), next to arrive, added “fight” and “flight.”
If an environment is perceived as dangerous, the SNS activates the “fight or flight” response.
In the “fight” response, your heart rate will increase, breathing will become heavier, and your blood will move from your internal organs to your limbs so you can fight off your predator and protect yourself.
Emotionally, when you're in fight mode, you can be angry, irritated, and rageful.
In the "flight" response, you aren't interested in fighting off the danger; you want to avoid and flee the scene.
Instead of anger being your driving emotion, fear will take the reigns along with worry, anxiety, and sometimes even terror.
ANS Part 3: The most recent and evolved circuit, the ventral vagal complex (VVC) enables the ability for safety through connection and social engagement.
The VVC supports social connection, communication, and cooperation through facial expressions, vocalizations, and gestures.
When we feel safe and connected, the VVC is active.
In this state, body and brain work together, and processing and change are possible.
While “flight-or-flight” mode is generally known and understood, learning more about these additional responses of “freeze” and “fawn” can be very helpful for trauma survivors to understand.
When the autonomic nervous system has moved into a dysregulated dorsal vagal or sympathetic state, our body and brain has been hijacked and we are being held in a survival response. It can be confusing both to be stuck in and to see someone in freeze mode because the lack of outward fear, anxiety, or aggression may lead us to believe that they are calm, when in fact, they are immobilized and/or simply stunned, numb, and “frozen.”
Polyvagal Theory shows us that the reason a person might not have yelled, fought back, or fled to get help during an attack is biological and evolutionary—not because they did something wrong or somehow “invited” the event.
2. Neuroception
Neuroception, or “detection without awareness,” describes the way that our autonomic nervous systems are constantly and automatically interfacing with the world around us.
Working below the level of awareness, the autonomic nervous system listens inside the body, outside in the environment, and in the relationships between people.
Based on the information our automatic nervous systems receive through neuroception…
We either become open to connection and the possibility of change,
Appropriately detect threat and shift into a survival response that helps protect us, OR
Remain locked in a protective response (likely due to trauma) and potentially stuck in a survival story.
A neuroception of safety is incompatible with a neuroception of danger or life-threat, making this an either/or experience. Patterns of connection arise from cues of safety that then down-regulate our defense systems and activate our social engagement systems.
Reshaping the autonomic nervous system involves making this implicit experience explicit by bringing perception to neuroception and then adding context through the lens of discernment—i.e., slowing down and assessing why our system is responding a certain way and if this response is helpful/appropriate to our environment.
A Note for Therapists: Neuroception is at work in every moment, including during therapy sessions. The ability to tune into the implicit autonomic conversations that are happening between us and our clients is an essential part of creating therapeutic presence and building trust in the therapy process.
3. Co-regulation
Co-regulation is a biological imperative. It is essential to survival.
The ability to self-regulate is built on ongoing experiences of co-regulation. Through co-regulation we connect with others and create a shared sense of safety. With a reliable, regulating other, we engage in the rhythm of reciprocity and build experiences of safety in connection, allowing a neuroception of safety and enabling our ANS to engage the VVC, our social engagement system.
For many people, the necessary earliest experience of being with a safe person in a safe place is missing. This can make self-regulation hard to impossible.
As parents, we are responsible for being as regulated and regulating a presence for our children as possible. And, our ability to do this will depend on the relationship we had with our own parents—which are in and of themselves impacted by epigenetics and intergenerational trauma.
Without predictable and consistent co-regulation experiences with caregivers during early developmental stages, we all run the risk of facing increased challenges in developing self-regulation and co-regulation abilities as we age.
As therapists, we are responsible for being a regulated and regulating presence for our clients. Without our predictable, ongoing offer of co-regulation in their therapy sessions, our clients will struggle to engage in the therapeutic process of change.
Interested in learning more?
Reach out to engage with one of CCP’s experienced therapists and begin your journey towards increased regulation & healing today!