Developmental NeuroPsyche – The WHY

Developmental NeuroPsyche – The WHY

Primitive Reflexes in Clinical Practice: Autonomic Dysregulation, Fascial Bracing, and Developmental Retention

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© 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture® Primitive reflexes (PRs) are involuntary motor responses that establish foundational postural tone, orientation, and motor-sensory coordination during early development. These reflexes should integrate as higher cortical control matures. When they remain active—or reactivate in the context of trauma, emotional stress, neuroinflammation, or structural compromise—they produce Read More

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

🪷 The Great Doubt and the Return of Self-Initiated Presence

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© 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture®. Across many spiritual and trauma therapy frameworks, a state of processing or spiritual seeking arises, referred to in Zen traditions as the Great Doubt (大疑, dai-gi). It describes a state in which all conceptual frameworks collapse, including spiritual certainty and self-definition. It is not confusion—it is a radical

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Primitive Reflexes: The HPA Axis and the Eight Extraordinary Vessels

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Primitive reflexes form the foundation of the human nervous system, acting as building blocks for complex motor and cognitive functions. These automatic, involuntary movements present at birth gradually integrate as the child matures. Controlled by cranial nerves in the brainstem, these reflexes establish a balance between the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems, supporting motor movement,

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Cranial Nerves and Their Influence on Development

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The cranial nerves are the primary neural pathways that emerge directly from the brain, playing essential roles in sensory perception, motor control, and autonomic regulation. There are twelve pairs of cranial nerves, each responsible for specific functions, ranging from the senses of smell, vision, and hearing to the control of muscles in the face, eyes,

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