BLENDING: a glimpse of LIMBIC RESONANCE as we engage with others.

Our capacity for sharing deep emotional states arises from the limbic system. These states include:

  • Dopamine circuits support feelings of empathic harmony,

  • Norepinephrine (adrenaline) circuits promote emotional states of fear, worry or anger.

 

Co-creating a Social Safety Systems Canvas for Teams

- The 3 Levels of Safety we navigate daily in an emerging world.

Our clients have described feeling ‘stuck’ in limbo after Lockdown. A state of immobilization without clarity how to move forward in the emerging changes and uncertain future.

So we developed a Joy Canvas to reenergize and them- supported by a Cheat Sheet of upward mobilization using the hierarchy of states.

The 3 Levels of Social Safety applied through a Neurocoaching lens.

A Comparative Summary of THORT’s Metaphor - a brain as a boat- an Egyptian Dhow.

 

SMART TOP BRAIN

  • Social Engagement / Executive Lens

  • Cortex (Cranial Nerve X > Vagal Tone)

  • Parasympathetic N S (Ventral Vagal S)

  • ‘Power-2-Decide’ / ‘Wings’

  • (Top LH and Top RH)

  • 200 m years ago

IMPULSIVE MIDDLE BRAIN

  • Mobilize in world / Fight or Flight

  • Limbic System (Emotions+Memory)

  • Sympathetic Nervous System (ANS)

  • ’Mental Gatekeeper‘ / ‘Mental Jailor’

  • (Medial Lobe Hippocampus Amygdala)

  • 400 m years ago

STILL LOWER BRAIN

  • Snug / Detached / Immobilized / Freeze

  • Brain Stem (HPA System)

  • Parasympathetic N S (Dorsal Vagal)

  • ’Little-Me‘ / ‘Off-line’

  • (Insula>Thalamus > PCC)

  • 500 m years ago

 

More responses to clients needs in a locked-down and complex world …

 

Vertical Vagal Dance: THORT Tutors’ cheat sheet

 

“ How to navigate the downward spiral pull? Build a liberating Ventral Blend and enact a Ventral Brake.”

THORT’s Wanderer Board Game

We are expanding our range of questions for our board game. Join us and help us design Focus questions for specific conversations.

Yet another expression of a Polyvagal Lens

Why not join us in this powerful conversation and design your own visual Vagal Blend?

 
 
 

Reference and further reading:

  • The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-regulation (Norton, 2011)

  • The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe, (Norton, 2017)

  • Polyvagal Safety: Attachment, Communication and Self-Regulation (Norton, 2021)

  • S Porges and D Dana: Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal Theory: The Emergence of Polyvagal-Informed Therapies (Norton, June 2018)

  • Deb Dana: The Polyvagal Theory In Therapy: Engaging The Rhythm of Regulation (Norton, June 2018)

  • Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection: 50 Client-Centered Practices (Norton, 2020)

  • Befriending Your Nervous System (Sounds True, 2020), Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory (Sounds True, 2021)

  • The Polyvagal Flip Chart (Norton, 2020).

  • Psychotherapy Networker - How to Help Our Nervous Systems During a Pandemic...Finding Ventral Vagal for Our Clients and Ourselves

  • S Kosslyn: (2011) Top Brain Bottom Brain

  • Dr. Dan Siegel’s Mindsight approach

  • And many others.