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Neurocircuits of the brain, very ancient region of the brain, such as your brainstem, the midbrain are continuously

monitoring the environment on an ongoing basis, checking internal and external sensations around you for three different kinds of cues.

What are those cues? You're looking for cues of safety. Am I safe right now? Can I relax?

Cues of danger, risk, or vulnerability? And that's a situation where suddenly we do not feel so secure.

And then the third type of cues is life-threatening cues.

And each different cue creates a different state of being with different capabilities, different

behaviors, different thoughts, cognitive processes associated with each of those three different cues.

So if we detect around us and in our bodies enough safety cues which is for example people with

friendly expressions signs of a reassuring space, comfortable familiar surroundings, soothing tones, soft colors, soothing

lighting and so forth.

We don't experience any sudden startling movements and so forth.

If we detect enough safety cues, then what happens is the parasympathetic nervous system allows your

brain to fully function the highest most advanced regions of the frontal cortex, especially your

dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which inhibits aggression,

fear, allows you to make long-term plans

and allows you to listen and engage with others.

In fact, the great neurologist, Stephen Porgy has talked about this state as the social

engage state of the brain.

So when you detect enough safety cues,

...