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Understanding Why You Are Who You Are with Dr. Stephen Porges and Luke Iorio

Who are you and what makes you whole? Do you have triggers such as sounds or scents that remind you of a familiar feeling? Why do you look at the world the way you do? So many of your questions can be answered by scientist and Professor of Psychiatry, Dr. Stephen Porges, whose current work is unlocking the ways we can see another side of ourselves–our truest form.

Stephen is a distinguished University scientist at Indiana University where he’s the Founding Director of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium. He’s a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina and Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago as well as the University of Maryland. Stephen has served as president of the Society for Psychophysiological Research and the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences. He’s a former recipient of the National Institute of Mental Health Research Scientist Development Award.

Stephen has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles and in 1994 he first proposed and pioneered the Polyvagal Theory, a theory that links the evolution of the mammalian autonomic nervous system to social behavior and emphasizes the importance of the physiological state in the expression of behavioral problems and psychiatric disorders.

Listen in and learn more about who you are–more now than ever!

Kay Takeaways:

Butterfly effect. Did you know we go through three evolutionary stages directly linked to those of vertebrates? To be clear, mammals are vertebrate and humans are mammals. The correlation between the two is eye-opening on how it affects your physiological state, let alone your health. Your THREE transformative stages are . . . [13:41].

Tranquility zone. Did you know that you have triggers that give you a sense of security? The sounds of certain music or someone’s voice are a couple of them. All your senses slowly drop, as do your defenses. There are simple ways to develop this sense of safety in ourselves and in others, start HERE . . . [25:34].

Connection boost. Did you know there’s no such thing as winning an argument? Once a person becomes physical–such as crossing their arms or retracting in some way–the conversation is over and therefore, the discussion is over. Winning isn’t an option. To strengthen any relationship–work, home, social–give these TWO evaluation methods a try . . . [39:44].

Tune in and turn the volume up for a dose of inspiration and life lessons. You’re never more than One Idea Away from a whole, new reality.

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Luke Iorio is President of The Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) and has graduated thousands of coaches, leaders, athletes, and professionals across 44 countries, all of whom share his vision and desire for expanding our human potential and creating lasting, conscious change. He has been quoted in The Huffington Post, Fox Business, and Next Avenue, and is currently taking to the airwaves on the One Idea Away Podcast to entertain life’s pivotal questions with the help of celebrated thought leaders, mentors, and everyday unsung heroes.

Making the World Safe for our Children: Down-regulating Defence and Up-regulating Social Engagement to ‘Optimise’ the Human Experience

The Polyvagal Theory helps us understand how cues of risk and safety, which are continuously monitored by our nervous system, influence our physiological and behavioral states. The theory emphasizes that humans are on a quest to calm neural defense systems by detecting features of safety. This quest is initiated at birth when the infant needs for being soothed are dependent on the caregiver. The quest continues throughout the lifespan with needs for trusting friendships and loving partnerships to effectively co-regulate each other. The Polyvagal Theory proposes that through the process of evolution, social connectedness evolved as the primary biological imperative for mammals in their quest for survival. Functionally, social connectedness enabled proximity and co-regulation of physiological state between conspecifics starting with the mother-infant relationship and extending through the lifespan with other significant partners. The theory explains why feeling safe requires a unique set of cues to the nervous system that are not equivalent to physical safety or the removal of threat. The theory emphasizes the importance of safety cues emanating through reciprocal social interactions that dampen defense and how these cues can be distorted or optimized by environmental and bodily cues.