Sublime

This approach to competition, two rivals striving to obtain something that only one of them can possess, is grounded in a threat-oriented physiology, a body that doesn’t feel safe enough, resourced enough, or good enough to belong.

The fifth state is also a hybrid of two neural circuits. Activity in the dorsal branch of the vagus nerve, when combined with that of the ventral branch of the vagus nerve, supports feelings of intimacy and intimate behavior.

If our neuroception deems the situation safe, it can relax and turn down defensive and aggressive behaviors so as to conserve resources.

Walter Bradford Cannon, the legendary Harvard physiologist who first coined the term “fight or flight,” and popularized the term with his book The Wisdom of the Body. 1

We functionally wear our heart on our face.

When the body is not calm, the entire Social Engagement System is downregulated, and our ability to express and receive signs of safety in others is diminished.

Let’s rank people based on their ability to co-regulate with other individuals

“Neuroception” is a term coined by Stephen Porges to describe how neural circuits distinguish whether a situation is safe, threatening, or dangerous.

Gray’s data showed that the sensitivity of the amygdala depended, at least in part, on the amount of the neurotransmitter serotonin in that part of the brain. Animals with low serotonin levels were hyperreactive to stressful stimuli (like loud sounds), while higher levels of serotonin dampened their fear system, making them less likely to become ag