Nervous System Regulation vs Spiritual Connection
Are they different things or simply different ways of describing the same experience?
Before we dive in to exploring Nervous System regulation and spiritual connection, let’s first look at a very important question:
Why is this even a question?
If you are practicing spirituality, the concept of spiritual connection can take on a number of forms:
It can be found in the space between breaths,
the nirvana at the end of life, or the still small voice heard in the middle of a dark night of the soul.
It can even be found on a rainy morning, when the first crack of sunlight appears and your heart fills with awe.
It can be found deep in prayer or in the embrace of someone you love.
Meanwhile, if you have been studying psychology or exploring mental health, chances are you have an understanding of your nervous system, and asking why the basic principles of regulation are connected to a state of spiritual bliss feels rather valid as well.
However, I was asked this in an interview a few weeks back and I loved the question so much, I wanted to answer it here, as I feel like it’s integral to the path of practical spirituality.
What do we know about both these states of being?
Well, let’s start with a triggered nervous system.
Here’s an image I like to play with:
Imagine a cartoon cat sleeping on a cushion. Suddenly a loud crash happens and that cartoon cat jumps in the air, fur spiked all over the place, eyes are wide as saucers and it is frantic.
We’ve all seen a cartoon depiction of this at some point I’m sure…
But, here’s one for reference!
Throughout your life, experiences have shocked, shook, or traumatized you. Sometimes it can be as simple as a bang from the kitchen pots and pans, which makes you jump, but your nervous system tends to recover quite quickly.
Sometimes though it’s a growing sense of fear, dread, stress, that can build up over time.
No matter what, when your nervous system gets triggered, your brain goes into survival mode. red alert mode is activated and your integral animal instincts keep on the watch for what is dangerous.
Now, sadly, as brains love stability, if it gets used to this mode for a period of time, if it is under stress for a prolonged period, it will perceive any change as imminent danger.
So, if you get used to being in that flared place, then it means that is the normal state of being and calm feels uncomfortable… maybe even scary.
This is a completely HUMAN experience.
This is part of our survival instinct that dates back to the dawns of time.
It is built into our hardware.
However updating your inner software to create stories around feeling safe, loved and cared for rewired the hardware over time!
What has this to do with Spiritual Connection?
Ok, let’s start here.
For me, spirit/God/Source… the Universal energy field, is like electricity. It is flowing all around you, but you have to plug in to access it.
Therefore, spiritual connection is the act of plugging in to something greater than yourself.
Some people may see this as a practice of nervous system regulation because when you do plug in to the Universe you will feel a state of relief, and ease, you will surrender to the faith in wellbeing which, ideally, will regulate your nervous system and create inner balance.
However, It is also a step outside of the human reactive perspective and,instead ,an integration into your integral spiritual world. That means that sometimes, once you step out of the meditation or state of bliss, your brain will feel unsteady and head back to red alert again.
So, here’s how I see it.
Nervous system regulation, (achieved through breathing practices, mindfulness, grounding, mindset work and exercises.) can lead to a spiritual connection.
It creates a pathway where then plugging in to spirit can be found.
But a triggered nervous system could actually hold you back from a spiritual connection, as it may feel unsafe to create a link to the divine if you are in that red alert state.
Remember, your brain reads change as scary! So, an intense spiritual experience could feel unsteady and like a danger.
So, regulating your nervous system is a foundational step to developing your spiritual life.
You have to calm your mind, find a space of inner security and lean into a faith of something bigger than the physical world around you.
You are so much more than what you can see and touch, but that’s the data your brain will use to determine how safe you are in the moment.
Honestly, it’s not a one and done deal, either!
Human experiences happen.
Life is chaotic, loud and sometimes incredibly stressful!
Your nervous system can go into overdrive really easily, and it’s important to keep an eye on it.
You can be diving into a deep meditation one day, fully integrating your spiritual work and really feeling a deep connection to the love of the Universe and then the next day, go to tap into your heart field and suddenly feel unsteady.
Make a practice of checking in with yourself, asking yourself how you feel and if you feel safe and if you find your nervous system is slightly on edge, take time to regulate there first.
You’ll find your spiritual connection flows deeper and easier with that simple step.
Want to know more about regulating your nervous system and how it is actually part of your Physical Energetic world, linked to your root and solar plexus chakras?
Become a paid member where I’ll be sharing some tools for regulation and alignment next week!