Polyvagal Theory: A Science of Safety

Summary & key facts

This paper explains Polyvagal Theory, which says feelings of safety come from changes in the nervous system that control things like heart rate and breathing. It argues that these safety signals can be measured in the body, that certain brain circuits turn down threat reactions, and that feeling safe helps the body heal, rest, and connect with other people. The authors suggest that if schools, hospitals, and workplaces paid attention to these biological safety signals, people might feel healthier and more creative, but the paper is mainly a theory that calls for more research and practical testing.

Key facts:

• Feelings of safety are tied to the autonomic nervous system, which is the part of the nervous system that automatically controls heart rate, breathing, digestion, and other body systems.
• Polyvagal Theory proposes specific brain and nerve circuits that reduce threat responses and send signals of safety, which makes people more able to connect with others without feeling defensive.
• When the nervous system signals safety, it supports basic body functions like growth, repair, and restful states, instead of keeping the body in costly defensive modes.
• Feeling safe in social interactions can reduce the energy the body spends on defense and help people co-regulate, which means calming each other through social contact.
• The paper argues that feelings of safety could be measured objectively in the body, shifting the study of safety from only personal reports to observable biological signs.
• The authors recommend using these ideas to change institutions such as healthcare and education to create more chances for people to experience safety and co-regulation, but they present this as a proposed direction rather than proven outco

Abstract

Contemporary strategies for health and wellbeing fail our biological needs by not acknowledging that feelings of safety emerge from internal physiological states regulated by the autonomic nervous system. The study of feelings of safety has been an elusive construct that has historically been dependent upon subjectivity. Acknowledging that feelings of safety have a measurable underlying neurophysiological substrate would shift investigations of feelings of safety from a subjective to an objective science. Polyvagal Theory provides an innovative scientific perspective to study feelings of safety that incorporates an understanding of neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. This perspective identifies neural circuits that downregulate neural regulation of threat reactions and functionally neutralize defensive strategies via neural circuits communicating cues of safety that enable feelings of safety to support interpersonal accessibility and homeostatic functions. Basically, when humans feel safe, their nervous systems support the homeostatic functions of health, growth, and restoration, while they simultaneously become accessible to others without feeling or expressing threat and vulnerability. Feelings of safety reflect a core fundamental process that has enabled humans to survive through the opportunistic features of trusting social engagements that have co-regulatory capacities to mitigate metabolically costly defense reactions. Through the study of neural development and phylogeny, we can extract foundational principles and their underlying mechanisms through which the autonomic nervous system leads to feelings of safety and opportunities to co-regulate. Several principles highlight the validity of a science of safety that when implemented in societal institutions, ranging from healthcare to education, would enhance health, sociality, and lead to greater productivity, creativity, and a sense of wellbeing. By respecting our need to feel safe as a biological imperative linked to survival, we respect our phylogenetic heritage and elevate sociality as a neuromodulator that functionally provides the scientific validation for a societal focus on promoting opportunities to experience feelings of safety and co-regulation.

Topics

Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments

Categories

Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine Health Sciences Medicine

Tags

Artificial intelligence Cognitive science Computer science Feeling Interpersonal communication Neuroscience Perspective (graphical) Psychology Social psychology

Conditions & symptoms

Anxiety Depression PTSD Anxiety or worry Feeling disconnected from others Poor sleep