Neuroception: Befriending Your Nervous System
This blog aims to educate clients and the general population about psychological concepts, suggest tools, and, most importantly, increase awareness of our psychological processes. Today, we will discuss the nervous system, which significantly affects physical and mental psychology.
Psychologist Steven Porges introduced the polyvagal theory in the 1990’s. It is a theory founded in evolutionary biology, neuroscience, and psychology. The theory's star is the nervous system and its importance in regulating our emotional states. Porges coined “neuroception” as a combination of the nervous system and perception. Neuroception is a subconscious perception of stimulus by the nervous system.
The nervous system is always accessing stimuli and data. It detects without awareness; our brain and cognitive channels interpret the information. The data the nervous system perceives is inside the body, outside the body, such as the environment, and also the energy between people. At the assessment of stimuli, the nervous system activates. Sometimes, a match of stimuli and activation leads to calm and safety resuming. Sometimes, there is a mismatch, and the stimuli may not be threatening but activate a response geared toward protection from a threat.
Here is an example from nature: A deer is in a field on a windy day. As the wind blows through the leaves, the deer’s nervous system is activated, interrupting the need for heightened awareness. The deer then relies on previous experience and visual assessment to conclude that it is only wind, not a saber-tooth tiger. The deer continues to graze. This is an example of neuroception and a match of data and activation.
Let’s look at a human example: A family has gathered for Thanksgiving, and several people are preparing various dishes in a crowded kitchen. The family's father leans over the daughter’s shoulder, observing how she mashes the potatoes and commenting on her method. The daughter’s nervous system is overstimulated. She gets flushed and emotional, screaming, “Nothing I do is ever good enough.” This is an example of neuroception, where it’s questionable whether the activation matches the data.
What might have triggered the daughter’s emotional reaction? The answer is usually trauma. Suppose trauma has occurred in a person’s life, whether it is emotional abuse, an environmental disaster, or a debilitating car accident. In that case, the nervous system becomes more aware of those types of stimuli and quickly associates anything similar to distress and danger with the activation of protection. Distress signals disrupt our connection to ourselves and the people and things we find safe.
Okay, so what do you do with this knowledge of neuroception? Well, Deb Dana, who has written many books on polyvagal theory, suggests befriending your nervous system. Get to know it and how it reacts to various stimuli. Once you recognize some of the physiological activations of your nervous system, you will have more autonomy in your reactions.
For instance, if you find yourself more anxious, irritable, and emotional, with an increased heart rate, after scrolling social media or watching various news cycles, these are clues your nervous system is overstimulated and needs a social media/news break.
If you attend a work function and notice sweaty palms, a headache, or ringing in your ears, your nervous system is working overtime to assess the stimuli. Perhaps you should take a break and get some fresh air or leave early.
Engaging with nature, implementing breathing techniques, utilizing meditation and yoga, breathing fresh air, listening to calm music, talking with a friend or loved one, and grounding yourself with mindfulness techniques are helpful ideas for resetting your nervous system to calm.
Your nervous system is your friend and works hard to protect you. Do right by it and learn its signals, especially as we enter the holiday season and are experiencing a time of intense political activity.