The brainstem is not a single “control center,” but a major integration region linking the brain with the spinal cord and helping coordinate breathing, cardiovascular regulation, sleep and arousal, swallowing, vomiting, eye movements, hearing and balance functions, facial movement and sensation, and multiple autonomic processes. (Benarroch, 2017; McCorry, 2007) This article examines how brainstem-mediated autonomic
They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, but if you are stuck in chronic sympathetic dominance, the soul might be offline or overwhelmed. This is synthesis. This is how I have been navigating brainstem failure and vision loss. I am following patterns across fields that are usually kept separate and explore how
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This synthesis emerged during COVID after more than 25 years of clinical practice and my own experience of autonomic collapse from developmental trauma. The mechanistic reasoning is grounded in neuroanatomy, autonomic physiology, mitochondrial bioenergetics, and developmental neuropsychology. The clinical frameworks, techniques, and synthesis presented in this series reflect an approach that has been developed and
©Polyvagal Acupuncture® and Dr. Jennifer Moffitt. This work is registered with the Library of Congress. Disclaimer: I receive no remuneration for any of the products or services discussed or recommended in this series. These recommendations reflect what has evolved over the last eight years in support of my own neuroplastic journey and the work I do
Introduction: This piece lays out the neurological groundwork for several articles exploring the intersection of neurotrauma, neuromysticism, and altered states of consciousness. It looks at three brain regions, the periaqueductal gray, the posterior parietal cortex, and the basal ganglia, and how damage or deactivation in each one produces experiences that read as spiritual or mystical.
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© 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture®. Note: Regrettably, I have had to remove over 200 articles for the integrative material from the blog due to trademark and copyright infringement by a local medi-spa. Email for a link to the password-protected student material. I’ve left the 50 public facing Copyright protected articles.
