🧠 Developmental Trauma, Dopaminergic Collapse, and the Schizoid-Seeker Loop

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© 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture®. In patients with early relational trauma—especially those with perinatal rupture, adoption, or spiritualized abuse—we frequently observe the emergence of schizoid character structure as defined by Alexander Lowen: a core split between the physical body and the organizing self. When paired with early threat to attachment and survival, this Read More

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The Bibliography

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© 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture®. In lieu of a references page for each blog post, I have included the references for the entire subject, to be expanded as content increases. For ease, I include the author’s last name in the blog paragraph for more important works.  Polyvagal Acupuncture (TM) and

The Fear Paralysis Reflex (FPR): The Primordial Freeze Response

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© 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture® The Fear Paralysis Reflex (FPR) is the earliest-appearing defensive reflex in fetal development, emerging as early as 5–8 weeks of gestation. It precedes all motoric fight-or-flight responses and represents the organism’s first organized reaction to threat: tonic immobility. This freeze state is characterized by stillness, bradycardia, breath-holding, and

The Moro Reflex: The Core Disruptor of Gut–Brain–Body Integration

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The Moro Reflex, distinct from the simpler Startle Reflex, is a higher-order primitive reflex that appears at birth and is typically integrated by 4–6 months of age. It is triggered by a sudden loss of support—as if the infant is falling—and results in a global motor response: the arms and legs shoot outward, hands open

Freeze-Based Reflexes: The Missing Foundation in Primitive Reflex Work

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© 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture®. Most primitive reflex training programs, particularly those focused on pediatrics, emphasize postural and motor pattern reflexes such as ATNR, STNR, and TLR. Yet many of my early classes omitted the most foundational layer of the reflex hierarchy: the freeze responses. Startle, Fear Paralysis Reflex (FPR), and Core Tendon Guard

Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR): Foundational Flexion–Extension Drive and Gravitational Orientation

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© 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture®. First Published on Down the Polyvagal Rabbit Hole, March 2024 https://polyvagalacupuncture.blogspot.com/2024/03/tonic-labyrinthine-reflex-tlr.html Author:  Dr. Jennifer Moffitt The Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR) is one of the earliest reflexes to appear in human development, emerging in utero and typically integrating by 4–6 months of age, though postural traces often persist

Landau Reflex: The Postural Bridge Between Core Extension and Spatial Autonomy

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© 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture®. The Landau Reflex emerges around 3–4 months of age and typically integrates between 12–24 months, depending on trunk tone maturity and the resolution of earlier primitive reflexes. It appears only after foundational flexor patterns—particularly the Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR), Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR), and residual Moro

Spinal Galant Reflex: The Lateral Arc of Trunk Escape and Pelvic Mobility

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© 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture®. The Spinal Galant Reflex appears around 20 weeks of gestation and typically integrates by 9 months of age.  This reflex is triggered when the skin along the side of the infant’s back is stroked, causing the infant to curve their body towards the stimulated side. The Spinal

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