Story Follows State

Story Follows State

Raincoat by Karsten Winegeart
Photo by Karsten Winegeart

“Story follows State.” This is a term from polyvagal theory. What it means is the state of our nervous system drives our perception and that drives our narratives.

In the most obvious example, when we sleep, our perception shuts off and there is no narrative. In dreams, perception is within and the narratives resume. The mind has something to say about everything.

More broadly, if we have a lot of childhood survival trauma (insecurity), we’ll see the world through a lens of fear, anger, or shame. Yet it’s been there so long, we don’t even notice the filter. It’s our normal. And it’s commonly hidden to save us discomfort. But we may notice symptoms, like in our reactivity or resistance to something.

That’s where the magic of somatic therapy comes in. Safe ways to follow the sensations back to their hidden source and heal.

When we resolve that trauma, then the state of the nervous system changes. This shifts our perception by taking those filters off. And that changes the stories of our life.

For some people, even relaxing is fearful. Life is unsafe and we have to be hyper-alert to danger. This can make healing a longer process. We have to develop those inner resources of calm and safety first. Only then we can face our shadow.

Do we live in an internal state of fear, agitation, or contraction? Or do we have an inner sense of safety? Or even a deeper knowing that who we are is deathless?

“I have regained memory, memory of who I am – I am the unbounded, the immortal, the blissful, the invisible Self.”
– Bhagavad Gita, 18.73

On that platform, we can unfold the story of creation itself.
Davidya

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8 Comments

  1. Sharon

    And if we regularly remind ourselves:
    Aham brahmasmi (I am that Totality)
    Tat twam asi (You are that Totality)
    Sarvam kailvidam Brahm… (All this is that Totality)

    This new “story” can help stabilize a new state. Just as Maharishi explains that
    direct experience and intellectual understanding can augment each other.

      1. Sharon

        Hi D, yes, there must be a foundation in experience. And Maharishi was very clear that knowledge or intellectual understanding can actually help give rise to further and/or expanded experience. I noted it at the time because I had never heard this before. As for experience, it too can be misinterpreted.

        1. Yes, it comes down to right attitude. I often find the experience expands when someone shares another perspective. A different looking reveals more of reality.

          The key is what is relating. If we’re in the head, then we’re just collecting more ideas. Those may feel expansive but it’s still just mind expanding. But if we’re resting in being, then being can use the understanding to know itself more fully.

          I emphasize the point as the difference is often not recognized in spiritual circles.

          Where we’re seeing from makes all the difference. 🙂

          1. Sharon

            But isn’t Being also in the mind, in the head, in ideas and in thinking?

            I think the New Age began with a big bias against thoughts and
            a big bias for emotions. I understand why that happened but I
            don’t think it serves evolution all the time.

            1. Yes, but if it’s not conscious, we’re not acting from it.

              Well – not sure I’d say that. New Age comes out of the Transcendentalists and New Thought movement.

              There has been a movement to become more emotionally aware. And neoadvaitists demonized the mind. These have gotten a little muddled.

              I think the mind is great, but as a tool. It makes a lousy leader yet thats common in our culture.

  2. ‘What it means is the state of our nervous system drives our perception and that drives our narratives.’ -The simplicity and profound clarity in this is astounding

    ‘On that platform, we can unfold the story of creation itself.’ -I said ‘Oooooooo!!!!’ out loud when I read this line. Thank you for this bullseye 🙂

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