Vagal Tone and the Voice of the Unconscious

Neuroception: The Unconscious Compass

Neuroception is essentially the lived-body’s surveillance system. Continuously scanning for cues of safety or danger this system influences which autonomic state we shift into, thus effecting how we relate, feel, and behave. Regardless of autonomic states, whether ventral vagal (social engagement and safety), sympathetic (mobilization—fight or flight), or dorsalvagal (immobilization—shutdown, collapse), it is vitally important to remember that these shifts are shaped by unconscious processes¹. In fact, your autonomic nervous system is constantly scanning your internal and external environment for signs of safety or danger often beneath the level of conscious awareness.

While the Polyvagal Theory has revolutionized trauma-informed care with its focus on bodily states and vagal tone, what’s often missing in the conversation is the unconscious nature of these processes. The unconscious terrain truly shapes not only how we embody a sense of safety, but unconscious processes are also key factors in determining how we identify threats and perceive or respond to danger. Furthermore, it is important to remember that the autonomic nervous system responds to either real or perceived threats alike, even if they are false or imagined. The nervous system doesn’t only respond to surface-level stimuli; it responds to symbolic and hidden material. Furthermore, since childhood memories, past experiences, shadow material, and collective patterns emerge in the present moment, it is crucial to engage unconscious processes to support long-term shifts and deeper healing in general.

When you incorporate depth psychological principles in the therapeutic arena you are engaging the unconscious systems that reshape perception. Depth-oriented practices reach into the unknown — into early implicit memories, shadow material, deeply ingrained somatic patterns, and images that live outside of conscious awareness. Healing isn’t just about grounding exercises or breathwork—it’s also about inviting the unknown. Therefore, it is vital to understand that if you exclude the voice of the unconscious you are also excluding a vital link responsible for a more regulated nervous system.

Depth-Oriented Practices Invite the Unconscious as a Healing Act

Depth psychology, rooted in the work of C.G. Jung and others, inherently values the unknown. This field also recognizes that psychosomatic patterns, dreams, myths, and images are potent forces that guide healing. Studies in affective neuroscience have shown that symbolic processing can alter autonomic function by stimulating prefrontal cortex integration and decreasing limbic over-activation².  Many pioneers within the field of psychoanalytic practice and those researching the science of the nervous system have also validated the potency of depth-oriented practices and verified the deep healing that can occur as a result of deeply listening to what arises from the unconscious. These research findings reinforce the therapeutic potential of engaging with metaphor, story, and unconscious imagery. In reality, depth-oriented approaches are not just necessary for deeper integration they are also profoundly impactful for neurological regulation.

In the presence of a skilled practitioner, the unknown becomes an ally in the therapeutic process and therefore over time more welcomed by client. provoking less anxiety for the patient or client. When a  process of investigating the unknown is modelled with openness and curiosity it then becomes more welcomed by the client. Over time this process initiates a profound act of emotional regulation whereby the clinician supports a process of co-regulation helping the body feel safer within the presence of what arises within the relational field³. By intentionally engaging the unconscious clients are encouraged to encounter what has been denied, feared or repressed within the clinical setting. Rather than reacting with fear or hypervigilance, the client is ultimately supported in cultivating curiosity and presence which are qualities that mirror the safety of the ventral vagal state.

Overall, depth psychology does not seek to eliminate discomfort but to engage with it meaningfully. By inviting the unconscious through dreams, movement, imaginative acts, symbolic images, or archetypal material, clients begin to form a dialogue with the unknown. Over time, the unconscious becomes not a threat, but a source of life-affirming transformation. In this way, depth-oriented work supports a greater capacity to meet the unknown with more flexibility. This an essential ingredient in improving vagal flexibility and reducing maladaptive autonomic responses⁴.

While the polyvagal theory helps illuminate the physiology of integration, depth psychology actually provides the avenue to actualize this integration. Ultimately when combined, these potent methodologies create a healing container that is both rooted in scientific data and grounded in the sacred presence of the unknown. In this way, clients become more than regulated—they become whole.

1. Porges, S. W. (2007). The polyvagal perspective. Biological Psychology, 74(2), 116–143.

2. Siegel, D. J. (2011). The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are. Guilford Press.

3. Pinna, T., & Edwards, D. J. (2020). A systematic review of associations between interoception, vagal tone, and emotional regulation. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1792.

4. Teper, R., Segal, Z. V., & Inzlicht, M. (2013). Inside the mindful mind: How mindfulness enhances emotion regulation through improvements in executive control. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 22(6), 449–454.