Brain Networks
The human brain operates through interconnected neural networks, each serving distinct yet complementary functions. These networks will be developing over the early years and maintained over life. The 7 main ones are:
Default Mode Network (DMN)
Activates during rest and self-reflection, crucial for autobiographical memory and social understanding
Salience Network
Detects and filters important information, helping direct attention to relevant stimuli and switching between CEN & DMN
Central Executive Network
Manages complex cognitive tasks, decision-making, and goal-directed behavior
Sensorimotor Network
Processes sensory input and coordinates motor responses and movement
Visual Network
Handles sight and visual processing.
Dorsal Attention Network
Hold attention for external directed focused tasks and ignored environmental distractions
Limbic Network
Processes emotions and manages emotional responses to experiences
These networks form over the first 5-7 years of life and then continue to be refined and re-enforced until adulthood and beyond.
Michael Posner (1998, 2012), distinguishes three attention networks. Each of these networks is responsible for different attention processes:
- Alerting network (when): this network is responsible for achieving and maintaining high sensitivity to incoming information Modulator: Norepinephrine
- Orienting network (what): this network is responsible for selecting task-relevant information Modulator: Acetylcholine
- Executive attention network (how): this network regulates the appropriate processing for a given task and monitors its execution. Modulator: Dopamine
PubMed Central (PMC)
Attention networks and the intrinsic network structure of the human brain
Attention network theory distinguishes three independent systems, each supported by its own distributed network: an alerting network to deploy attentional resources in anticipation, an orienting network to direct attention to a cued location, and a ...
Different types of play activate different parts of the brain and develop these networks, play that get you into the flow state together develop concentration and attention. Parents can pass on their concentration challenges through their own play styles.
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The Default Mode Network
The default mode network is one of seven brain networks, it is active during rest and sleep, and most active when the mind engages in internal thought or contemplation. When you remember an event from your childhood, imagine a future vacation, or contemplate a family member’s thoughts or feelings, your internal mind drives these perceptions. The default mode network also stores your 'internal working model' attachment patterns.
Abnormal function in the default mode network is often associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. If the network becomes overactive, it can lead to intensified, self-referential thought as a symptom of schizophrenia or negative and disruptive thoughts associated with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Altered functional or structural organization of the DMN has also been implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Individuals with autism are often characterized by difficulty processing the emotions and feelings of others, in relationship to one’s self. Underlying DMN dysfunction may contribute to an individual’s difficulty processing social situations and information.
It has also been posited that higher functional connectivity between the DMN and other brain networks may be an underlying symptom of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This abnormal connectivity may be linked to mind wandering and wavering attention. With regard to neurological disease, the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease often exhibit degradation of the posterior cingulate cortex. This key node in the default mode network is responsible for memory formation and retrieval, making it a common target of the disease. In some cases, individuals even experience disruption in the DMN prior to showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease. With the DMN being a relatively recent discovery for neuroscience, modern research is still uncovering its full implication on mental illness and physical disorders.
The figure below details PTSD impact to the switching of brain networks and how it impacts the salient network switching between the default mode network and central exec network:
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Harvard Centre on the Developing Child
The PDF details early brain development and the impact of stress to the brain.
Items impacted in developmental delays and emotional overload are related to brain development in the first 5 years. Networks then get pruned until adulthood. Autistic children have less pruning happening.
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The Vagus Nerve: One of the Key Regulator of Body Functions
Note: Its more than the vagus nerve. Its the central channel of nerves that go from the brain to genitalia that cause a shiver. Its a similar shiver to a sexual climax that releases positive chemicals, its like a prolonged pee shiver if you go into a full trauma release shiver, the vibration to a good belly laugh. Some people might have to get their body to go into that full trauma release shiver to release their unresolved traumas via similar triggers.
Autonomic Regulation
Controls heart rate, breathing patterns, and blood pressure through parasympathetic activation, promoting the "rest and digest" state. It also plays a part with temperature regulation.
Emotional & Trauma Response
Plays a crucial role in stress response, anxiety regulation, and emotional well-being through the gut-brain axis. Depending now it vibrates, determines if calming or stress related brain chemicals are released.
Digestive Function
Regulates digestion, gut motility, and secretion of digestive enzymes throughout the gastrointestinal system
Anti-inflammatory Response
Mediates the body's inflammatory response through the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, helping to reduce inflammation
The article below details a link between inflammation and anxiety/dopamine and concludes that the neuroinflammatory consequences of systemic immune challenges can give rise to sickness-like behaviors and mood disturbances that include blunted locomotor activity, anxiety and reduced sociability.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889159125003964
Kelly Mahler has lots of courses on interception and Occupational Therapy integration concepts.
Buddhist Tummo and Ice Baths are good ways to physio this system of nerves as its the same system that releases trauma, that does temperature management.
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Fascia
Fascia is a thin layer of connective tissue that encloses each organ, nerve fiber, muscle, blood vessel and bone in its proper position. In addition to providing internal structure, fascia has nerves that give it almost the same sensitivity as skin. It tends to tighten up when stressed. As per the Watson Headache technique theory, when nerves have tissue tightening around them they become more sensitive and aggravated.
This is why pain can hurt more, tissues tensing pulling on the cut or tensing up hurting more. When in overload all these tissues tighten up impacting already sensitive nerves making senses stronger. In getting all these muscles to relax, sensory experiences can become a little less intense.
An autistic person (https://www.reddit.com/r/AspiesJourney/) has created a guide for reducing body tightness and pain via fascia stretching work you can do yourself at home. https://drive.proton.me/urls/B2MJ1M6NK0#1Eqt0tfQQN7u
Erik Dalton Blog
Fascia as a Sensory Organ - A Target of Myofascial Manipulation - Erik Dalton Blog
The following is an excerpt written by Robert Schleip from chapter #9 of Erik Dalton’s book, Dynamic Body: Exploring Form Expanding Function, which features guest contributions from some of the leading thought leaders and practitioners in the massage profession. The rest of the chapter can be read in the Dynamic Body textbook, available as part … Fascia as a Sensory Organ – A Target of Myofascial Manipulation Read More »
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The Divers Reflex and Central Channel
The divers reflex is a physiological response to cold water submersion, involving the vagus nerve slowing the heart rate and redirecting blood flow. This reflex helps conserve oxygen and maintain blood pressure, a survival mechanism observed in many mammals.
The vagus nerve also plays a role in the fight/flight/freeze response, and its activation via cold therapy can bring someone out of a traumatized state. The resulting release of chemicals like dopamine and endorphins release acts as a natural antidepressant. A short healing window occurs as it appears to put ones brain waves into the healing part.
Ice is not needed: Adults only need 21C and babies have a more sensitive reflex. Whilst the divers reflex is activated by the face, shivering is more important for stress release, its more about putting your body into temperature regulation mode vs stress/trauma mode. The face does not have to go in water, running in and out of the sea, playing in an outdoor paddling pool are all adequate for children.
Keep it fun and playful sensory exploration, connecting the body to the environment. Keep the child feeling powerful and in control. The sea and waves can be scaring and over powering for children. Be safe and sensible. Bays and outdoor pools are great. Body boarding is another activity.
Activating the shiver, creates a window of healing to allow healing of this natural release, before emotional overload returns. Over time as a child's starts to release more emotion, it will start to take longer and longer before overload returns. A school term longer than 8 weeks often puts most children into an overloaded state and ruptures with peers start.
This article covers the different chemicals from the stress of cold from full body immersion vs the face and triggering the divers reflex response.
Lifestyle Medicine
Jumping into the Ice Bath Trend! Mental Health Benefits of Cold Water Immersion
By Maya Shetty, BS Key Takeaways Research shows that cold water immersion (CWI) may improve mental health by increasing endorphin and norepinephrine levels. CWI may also improve resilience to stress by decreasing cortisol levels. CWI can be adapted to meet different wellness goals, whether for immediate relief or long-term mental health benefits. For individuals seeking […]
Copyright Steven Simmons ©
1
Attachment Theory
-Anxious vs Disorganized
-Everyone strives for secure
early interactions with caregivers shape an individual’s attachment style (secure, anxious, avoidant, or disorganized). These styles influence emotional regulation, relationship patterns, and overall mental health in adulthood
Disorganised is not just caused by trauma. A too silly and inconsistent caregiver can cause confusion, too hyper play can be over stimulating and become frightening to a child
2
Internal Working Model
Internal working model is an internal map of the world that a child creates based on it's attachment figures and environment. Why a tribe is more effective than 1-2 parents alone.
-first 18months watching and building the rules of the world
-toddler years testing rules of the world out
-default mode network forming until 5 and stores the internal working model
-Healing doesn't move to secure straight away when healing
3
Serve and Return.
-Children play out a c with their parents; explore/watch over, return/nurture
Circle of Security is a course for under 5s. That teaches how this circle can be observed with the parent.
This circle can be seen being tested with peers and teachers as children test out their internal model with the wider world and relational figures as they grow beyond 5-8 years old.
-Shark Music that passes generationally
4
Sensory Processing and Attachment
Beacon house a child trauma center in the UK have a good PDF detailing how attachment and connection supports sensory integration
Beacon House also have a good one on developmental trauma and how parents own trauma can block their ability to play, along with some good courses.
5
Factors that lead to a secure attachment
John Bowlby, Mary Ainsworth work. attachment disturbances and adults treatment for comprehensive repair, Daniel P Brown. Consolidates all the latest research on Attachment Theory as of 2016.
Picture from Attachmentrepair.com
Copyright Steven Simmons ©
Adult Attachment Healing Concepts
This talk inspired the creation of this pack. How can one heal a child before they become adults, how would you create a realized leader of the future?
In the 2nd ½ of the talk Dr Brown talks of studies on meditative states:
Harvard Researches have just mapped the buddhist state of Nirodha Samapatti (Cessation): For the first time, they have been able to use brain imaging techniques to observe material correlates related to this meditative event in advanced meditators: the physical signature of the human brain in this condition...
Equally important, the material patterns observed, when compared and decoded quantitatively against existing brain-mapping indices, aligned strikingly with indicators of well-being and the absence of suffering.- https://x.com/MatthewSacchet/status/1967541972383441069?t=41WSK5xCkRgBLH_O-qVBiw
This is an interview with Dr. Daniel P. Brown where he talks though through the path of psychological and spiritual development, from attachment and trauma to esteem and relationship to awakening and buddhahood.
Copyright Steven Simmons ©
Theories on Stages of Consciousness
There are a number of theories that envelop Piaget's that focus on the Stages of Consciousness and development beyond adolescence.
Richard Barrett - Barrett Model
The Barrett Model, is a framework for understanding human motivation and the evolution of values in individuals, organizations, and societies. It is based on the idea that human development occurs in stages, and at each stage, people and groups prioritize different values based on their level of consciousness. The Barrett Model is used in leadership development, organizational culture transformation, and personal growth to align values with higher levels of consciousness, fostering well-being, innovation, and societal progress
They have developed material to show how a number of psychological concepts align with this model
BVC
Theoretical Support for the Barrett Model® — BVC
The Barrett Model® has proven to be a powerful framework for realizing human potential for leaders and organizations across the globe. The Barrett Model and BVC Analytics have assisted thousands of organizations across 94 countries to increase the health of their organizational culture, and thus, im
Key Elements of the Barrett Model:
- Seven Levels of Consciousness: These levels correspond to different stages of personal and collective development, from basic survival needs to self-actualization and service to others.
- Values-Driven: The model is based on the belief that values are at the core of human motivation. As individuals and organizations evolve, they shift their focus from lower-order needs (such as security and relationships) to higher-order needs (such as purpose and contribution).
The Seven Levels of Consciousness:
- Survival (Basic Needs): Focus on personal survival, financial stability, and health.
- Relationship: Concerned with forming emotional connections, seeking love, and belonging. (Attachment)
- Self-Esteem: Motivated by recognition, achievement, and respect from others.
- Transformation: Seeking personal growth, self-awareness, and learning.
- Internal Cohesion: Focus on finding meaning, purpose, and inner harmony.
- Making a Difference: Driven by service, social responsibility, and contribution to society.
- Service to Humanity and Future Generations: Focus on leaving a legacy, global consciousness, and making a long-term impact.
Key Points:
- Lower Levels (1-3): These are focused on personal and ego-driven needs such as safety, relationships, and self-esteem.
- Higher Levels (4-7): These emphasize growth, purpose, and contributing to the greater good.
Jean Gebser
a Swiss philosopher and cultural historian known for his work The Ever-Present Origin, where he explores the evolution of human consciousness and its relationship to culture, art, and society. His theories are particularly influential in understanding different "structures" or "altitudes" of consciousness.
Ken Wilber
Integral Psychology incorporates similar themes, developmental models from both Western psychology (such as Piaget’s cognitive stages, Erikson’s psychosocial stages) and Eastern traditions (such as the stages of consciousness found in Buddhism or Hinduism).
Wilber suggests that humans evolve along multiple lines of development, such as cognitive, moral, emotional, interpersonal, and spiritual. Each line may develop at different rates, meaning someone might be advanced in one area but less developed in another.
A visual of all developmental lines, states from integral theory
Stages of Consciousness in these theory's often mirror both societies and a single human's evolution.
- Archaic/Infrared is in the brain-stem, survival
- Tribal/Magenta is Limbic, attachment
- Warrior to Post Modern/Red to Green are Cortical and Self
- Integral/Teal to Turquoise are Soul
- Post Integral/Violet is Spirit
Society is currently functioning mainly under Green/Post Modern phase, where individualization is celebrated when really we need to become one again and help each other as the living society we are. Through healing attachments generationally and teaching children meta cognitive awareness and self realization would societies shift as the way we all engage heals each other.
Similar to childhood stress, accumulated stress can impede development in adulthood. A healthy emotional & stress release function allows for continued conscious growth and potential.
Copyright Steven Simmons ©
Unique Developmental Profile
You would then have an individual profile, your consciousness would be at the center, developing vertically as per the altitudes of development.
Lines of development are like spider legs developing outwards. Some might go off track, purely due to genetics, others could be due to environment not fostering development of them.
If development freezes from emotional overload, the below lines of development start freezing or over developing based on genetics, environment and age.
Each line could have sub lines like Kinesthetic would have Psychomotor & Sensory. Sensory having further sub lines of each sense like taste, smell, touch that can also under and over develop. Some might feed into others e.g. Spiritual, Moral and Ethics. Cognitive would have different brain networks developing over the first 5 years and adapting over the years via continuous neuro-plasticity.
Copyright Steven Simmons ©
Eyes as the windows to the Soul
When you are traumatized or overloaded your vision goes narrower and darker, you also make your body smaller to protect it. If developing in hyper-arousal/dissociation your eyes will be focusing on the wider environment and can impact eye muscle and focus development.
When you are working in the flow state and in a good place, vision is wider and brighter.
When working for a wider purpose and seeing a greater inter-connectedness it is even brighter. This is the luminosity mediators speak of.
These brighter views are where trauma gets releases vs ruminating and the darker/narrower views.
You can use your vision to get a rough idea of where you are at mentally. This is why the finger wiggle in EMDR has a purpose. It provides a balance of attention and keeps you connected to the therapist in the room vs getting overloaded by your trauma memory and your brain going into ruminating part vs healing and trauma releasing part.
An article with references on the impact of trauma on the eyes.
Copyright Steven Simmons ©
Brain Wave Synchrony & Collaboration
Collaborating is one of the most basic human way to build connection, "do we agree to do something together?". Play goes from "will you play with me?", to "wanna you hang out?" to "Do you want to work and collaborate with me?" Collaboration engages the frontal cortex and the executive function network. Co-operative play is a form of collaboration and the best way to engage a child when they are disconnected and shutdown working from more emotional and reactionary levels of the brain. Activities around collaboration that bring two people into the flow state together creating joy, awe and wonder are very beneficial whilst children's brains are developing and being re-enforced during early childhood experiences. Repeat positive collaborative people experiences repairs brain networks. Every IEP at school should have a collaborative passion project with the teacher.
PubMed Central (PMC)
Is there collaboration specific neurophysiological activation during collaborative task activity? An analysis of brain responses using electroencephalography and hyperscanning
Collaboration between two individuals is thought to be associated with the synchrony of two different brain activities. Indeed, prefrontal cortical activation and alpha frequency band modulation has been widely reported, but little is known about ...
Having awareness and skills how to bring other people from a reactionary state into a collaborative state is an overlooked leadership skill.
Copyright Steven Simmons ©
Using Play Within the Classroom
An 8 year old girl who had gone through a trauma at pre-school and had become scared of strangers. The child naturally came up with a symbolic role playing game that also involved non-sense play with her Teacher. She would pretend to be a rat called Winky a run around and do something silly via these little playful moments when she had finished learning tasks.
This game allowed the child to processes her fear of teachers/authority and her own perfectionist via breaking the rules being mischievous and playful. It strengthened the trust and connection with the teacher improving her concentration and attention in class. It also lets her laugh away some of her stress through out the day instead of just at home.
The game also allowed her to befriend other girls. Other girls saw her laughing with the teacher and they wanted to join in too. This also allowed her to develop more skills with female peers. Playing as a character let her open up her personality within the class and build confidence. When teachers can read that children's behavior is often a form of demonstrating their developmental needs, they can help meet children's where they are at by responding back playfully instead of authoritatively, improving connection, confidence, classroom behavior & learning.
~H Simmons, Year 2
The young girl also started to write stories about the character as a way to processes her own fears.
Writing stories about Winky has become a little passion project. She wants to create a story book to help children overcome their fears. Playing Winky and writing these stories are a form of playful collaboration with the teacher using passions and connection to support learning. If your child has an IEP, having a playfully collaborative passion project as a way to achieve goals is a very effective way to support them in school. Children often collaborate with a new peer in class, then enjoy working together and take that relationship to the playground. It is a good way to scaffold relational growth.
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The Hero & Heroine's Journey
This concept can play a part of a person's Disintegration or Dark Night of the Soul. Joseph Campbell's "Hero's Journey" outlines a common narrative archetype found in myths and stories worldwide, detailing the universal stages of transformation an individual undergoes during a significant life transition.
1
Departure
- The Ordinary World
- The Call to Adventure
- Refusing the Call to Adventure
- Meeting the Mentor
- Crossing the Threshold
2
Initiation
- Test, Allies, and Enemies
- Approach to the Inmost Cave
- The Ordeal
- The Reward
3
Return
- The Road Back
- Resurrection
- Return With the Elixir
Maureen Murdock’s Heroine’s Journey is a female take on the story: It is about rejecting femininity, taking on mescaline traits and then as part of the journey see the value and return of her femininity. Some say this is fitting a women into a Man's story.
Virgin's Promise is a version that tries to address that complaint. The Heroine's Journey is more of an 'assert your will' within society. vs Be all you can be.
A person no matter the gender might need to go on either journey or take on different parts of each journey within one's own life.
Copyright Steven Simmons ©
Cell Intelligence
New Atlas
New intelligence model could upend biology, genetics, medicine and AI
This may be about as wildly entertaining, disruptive and philosophically profound as legitimate scientific research gets. Michael Levin's work in cellular intelligence, bioelectrical communication and embodied minds "is going to overturn everything."
08:03
YouTube
Can cells think? | Michael Levin
We know that humans are an intelligent species. But this biologist breaks down the intelligence of each of our cells — and it will blow your mind. ❍ Subscribe to The Well on YouTube: https://bit.ly/welcometothewell ❍ Up next: An evolutionary history of the human brain, in 7 minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGArM23mMNM Michael Levin, a developmental biologist at Tufts University, challenges conventional notions of intelligence, arguing that it is inherently collective rather than indivi
Multiscale Intelligence & The "Self"
Levin proposes that all biological systems are "nested problem solvers." Just as humans solve problems in 3D space, individual cells and tissues solve problems in morphospace (the space of all possible anatomical shapes).
- He argues that DNA provides the hardware (proteins), but the "software"—the decision-making on what shape to build—is mediated by bioelectrical networks.
- Biology is incredibly plastic. He cites examples like caterpillars retaining memories as butterflies even after their brains are dissolved, and planaria (flatworms) that can regenerate any part of their body.
Bioelectricity: The Software of Life
The core mechanism for this cellular communication is bioelectricity. All cells (not just neurons) have ion channels and gap junctions that allow them to communicate electrically.
- Levin shows a time-lapse of a frog embryo where the "face" appears as a bioelectrical pattern before the physical face forms. This electrical pattern guides where the eyes, mouth, and nostrils go.
- By altering these electrical signals (using drugs or light to open/close ion channels), Levin’s lab can "reprogram" the anatomy.
- They induced an eye to grow on a tadpole's gut simply by introducing the specific bioelectric state for "eye." The cells recruited their neighbors to help build a complete, functional eye.
- Adult frogs normally cannot regrow legs. By applying a "cocktail" that modifies ion channels, they induced frogs to regrow functional legs after amputation.
Planaria: Immortality and Memory
Planaria are a model organism for his work because they are immortal and highly regenerative.
- By temporarily altering the bioelectric circuit that says "one head," they created two-headed worms. Crucially, if you cut these two-headed worms, they regenerate as two-headed, showing that the memory of the body plan is stored in the electrical network, not the DNA.
- By tweaking the electrical network, they can force planaria to regenerate head shapes belonging to entirely different species (separated by 150 million years of evolution), again without touching the genome.
The TAME Framework & Future Implications
He outlines his framework TAME (Technological Approach to Mind Everywhere), which seeks to recognize and classify intelligence regardless of its origin (evolved, designed, or hybrid).
- He views cancer as a failure of communication where cells stop cooperating with the larger body and revert to a unicellular survival mode. Reconnecting them electrically can normalize the tissue.
- The long-term goal is to build a system where one can specify a biological shape, and the compiler determines the stimuli needed to get cells to build it. This would revolutionize medicine, curing birth defects and degenerative diseases by "convincing" cells to rebuild correctly.
His work demonstrates that there is wisdom within the electrical networks of the body/mind and not just within DNA.
Copyright Steven Simmons ©
Supporting Material
Adult version of the elephant path.
Good for facilitating nightly talks.
Boy version is available to.
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