The Polyvagal Theory helps us understand how cues of risk and safety, which are
continuously monitored by our nervous system, influence our physiological and behavioral …

The brain and body need to adapt constantly to changing social and physical environments.
A key mechanism for this adaptation is the 'stress response', which is necessary and not …

“Safety first,” we say these words almost every day, but we all take this for granted for what
Maslow proposed in his famous theory of Hierarchy of Needs: safety needs come second to …

Acutely challenging or threatening situations frequently require approach-avoidance
decisions. Acute threat triggers fast autonomic changes that prepare the body to freeze, fight …

Threat-anticipatory defensive responses have evolved to promote survival in a dynamic
world. While inherently adaptive, aberrant expression of defensive responses to potential …

The ability to recognize and properly respond to instances of protection from impending
danger is critical for preventing chronic stress and anxiety—central symptoms of anxiety and …

A collection of groundbreaking research by a leading figure in neuroscience. This book
compiles, for the first time, Stephen W. Porges's decades of research. A leading expert in …

The demands of both mental and physical activity are integrated with the dynamic control of
internal bodily states. The set of neural interactions that supports autonomic regulation …

Most animals live under constant threat from predators, and predation has been a major
selective force in shaping animal behaviour. Nevertheless, defence responses against …

The evolution of the autonomic nervous system provides an organizing principle to interpret
the adaptive significance of physiological responses in promoting social behavior …