The Space Between Neuroception & Narrative
Freedom to make skilful choices
At the very beginning of my own healing adventure, I had a clear list of things I wanted to change. Most goals revolved around patterns of reactivity that seemed quite tangible and concrete: mood and thought patterns that led to actions (or inaction) all with real, obvious consequences in my life and out in the world.
My tendency back then was a mixture of intellectual problem-solving and analysis, faith in exerting monumental will-power, and a loud inner critic if these first two things didn’t work. As you can probably guess, overall, these qualities just prolonged and deepened my suffering.
It was not until I began my yoga practice and my engagement with the science of well-being and resilience that I began to truly let go of the patterns that did not serve me, and grow in the direction I wanted in a way that was sustainable, effective and genuine.
One of my light bulb ‘aha!’ moments was when it really clicked that growth is truly an inside job. I had to become aware of the more subtle inner processes that preceded and led up to the more obvious surface level behaviours I wanted to change. I learned about the bi-directional communication system between my brain and nervous system, and focused on developing awareness of my inner experience through yoga, mindfulness and meditation.
Neuroception
We are often taught that the different stimuli (or events) we experience during our day are directly responsible for how we respond and that our actions are correlates of our conscious intentions. A closer look at our autonomic nervous system however, reveals that stimuli first prompt neural evaluation of threat level, a process referred to as neuroception.
This evaluation is so subtle and speedy that often we are unaware of the details in our internal or external environment that prompt a shift in how open and connected we feel vs. how defensive. This fine tuning of our physiological state greatly colors our perception and our responses, including our evaluations of others.
For example, details as diverse as: the frequencies of sounds around us, our position in a space relative to others, and to windows and doors, certain smells, the energetic or emotional current in an interaction or group context, someone’s tone or body language, or the media we take in, can all trigger an unconscious shift in neural state from a felt-sense of safety to a need to be on guard.
Our physiological state – whether we feel safe, are fuelled for fight/flight, or are slipping into withdrawal and shut-down – is thus an intermediary variable between stimulus and response. If defensive states are triggered in contexts when they are not in fact necessary, they need to be acknowledged and cared for to interrupt the perpetuation of self-destructive patterns of reactivity.
Interoception
While we may not be aware of all the stimuli triggering shifts in state through neuroception, we can grow our ability to notice our visceral reactions to being primed for safety or defence. Mindfully checking-in, we can notice the somatic cues (felt sensations in the body) of perceived threat or OK-ness.
Yoga therapy’s emphasis on gently training interospection – our ability to tune inward and notice felt sensation and inner experience – allows us to identify our personal somatic cues and the feelings they reinforce (such as anxiety, anger, depression, calm, curiosity, and joy).
When we feel safe, we may notice our breath is long and smooth, our belly relaxed, our heartspace open and our face expressive. We might feel we can better engage with others and that we are more clear-headed and able to think creatively and flexibly.
When we feel threatened, we may notice a wide spectrum of sensation. For example, a sense of heat and energetic rush, constriction in the belly or symptoms of gastrointestinal upset, short shallow breaths, a pounding heart, a clenched jaw, a sharp pointed gaze and intrusive thought loops. Or, alternatively, maybe feeling heavy and limp in the body, breath and heartbeat almost imperceptible, a drooping of the shoulders, neck and head, an unfocused gaze and brain fog.
Connecting to Core Self
Interoception requires that we connect with our inner witness – the part of us that can engage in self-inquiry and discovery, exploring our present moment experience with compassionate curiosity. Engaging in self-awareness inherently creates a feeling of space between the part that observes and the sensations being observed.
I like referring to the inner witness as my core Self to emphasize that there is in fact a central part of me that is constant and capable, a part that can acknowledge experience without becoming entangled in it. It is this Self that can notice somatic cues and tend to them skilfully before shifts in physiological state prompt reactivity.
You may be familiar with the quote: “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and our ability to try to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom.” (a quote Stephen Covey came across which he believed perfectly summarized the essence of Viktor Frankl’s philosophy).
Understanding the role of neuroception, perhaps we could rephrase this idea to be: between neuroception and narrative there is a space, and in that space lies our freedom to choose our response.
In other words, when not being mindful, a stimulus prompts our nervous system to prime for safety or defence, and, if in defence mode, our physiological state then skews our perception and our minds come up with a narrative to match how we feel and what we believe.
By regularly pausing to check-in and notice the cues our bodies are giving us, we can create intentional space between neuroception and the narrative that justifies and sparks our reactivity. That space allows us to change course, connecting with our core Self, re-establishing a felt sense of safety, and re-orienting our choices and behaviours to remain aligned with our values and goals.
Our yoga practice is a perfect context to train our ability to pause and check-in and to hone our ability to notice even the most subtle inner cues as to how we are feeling and the care we need most. Our core Self can observe the mind, illuminating the stories we tell ourselves about our abilities, our feelings, and our likes and dislikes, granting us the freedom to shape our practice from a place of clarity and discernment. The more we train these abilities, the more we will be able to use them in our daily life to skilfully navigate events and challenges while remaining fully embodied and centred.
