Polyvagal Theory
Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30
CORE DEFINITION
The autonomic nervous system has three states: ventral vagal (safety/social engagement), sympathetic (danger/fight or flight), and dorsal vagal (life-threatening/freeze/dissociation).
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- State regulation: When you cannot think or even move, you may be in a 'dorsal vagal' state (frozen). At this point, reasoning is useless; you need to 'defrost' through eye contact and a gentle voice (activating the ventral vagal).
Anchor fast decisions
The vagus nerve regulates the parasympathetic 'rest and digest' and social engagement; its tone (HRV) is associated with emotion and resilience.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyvagal_theoryverified
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