One thing that we must understand about the lower nervous system and its function is that it does not exist to simply trap us. Every single function of the body serves a Divine purpose, and has within it the capacity to bring the body and Spirit into deeper states of healing. Even when chronic, states of dissociation or dysregulation are not worthless states. While it may feel that way at times, (especially as lower nervous system states often make one more vulnerable or susceptible at times to attack,) this is actually a very powerful state to navigate so long as we have one thing going for us: Consciousness.
(may also be referred to as mindfulness, presence, intentionality, etc)
The lower nervous system is, ultimately, a mirror-realm. The Eighth Sphere is where we resonate when we lose ourselves in this realm. The more that we build ourselves up with Higher forces, the more that we refine our character, the more that we prioritize the integration and healing of the shadow/trauma/pain body, the more that we develop Self-control, the more that we scrape back the layers of the Not-Self, the False Self, the False "I" that we have built by over-identifying with our pain and trauma... the more power and presence we will have when it comes to navigating these lower realms.
What does this look like, in practice? For one, the ability to experience these lower states from a place of observation, neutrality, and non-reaction. This does not mean that we do not respond...we are not bypassing! Responding, however, comes from a place of awareness, and choice. We are mindful about our thoughts and intentional with our actions. Whereas, when we simply "react," we are overcome by the heavy and overwhelming thoughts, emotions, and sensations that sometimes accompany these states, and we project our energy outward and inefficiently as a way to express our pain and indignation.
Furthermore, the purpose of these states is to mirror to us the areas or parts of us that are still ruled by pain...areas where we may have handed over our autonomy and authority to pain egregores and thought-forms. Areas where we may be acting out of selfishness, greed, jealousy, shame. Of course, facing these aspects of ourselves can be painful! It makes sense to want to somehow evade this experience. The catch-22 is that, the more we try to escape our pain, the more it will consume us. When we refuse to look into the mirror, we are not evading our reflection....instead, we begin to interact with the black mirror, and everything reflected back to us, due to our inability to face and integrate the truth, is mirrored back as a lie, an inversion, a doppelganger.
We must remember that experiencing lower nervous system states is inevitable, and part of being human! If we do not understand this, it becomes easy to victimize ourselves when in these lower states, which only reinforces the cycle. I will reiterate again something that I mention quite often...that these states of dysregulation have the potential to spiral into survival mode. At that point, we begin to lose access to parts of the brain that help us connect with logic, regulate our emotions, access memory (both long and short term) and operate outside of cognitive distortions. I mention this again because, when we are in this state, observation and neutrality are not always possible. The initial focus must then be on embodiment, and re-establishing safety within the body.
