The Polyvagal Acupuncture® Integrative Model: From Self to Soma

© 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture®.

A Master Synthesis of Psychoanalysis, Developmental Neurobiology, and TCM

In our previous discussions, we ventured deep into the neuro-somatic constructs underpinning personality fragmentation and the mechanisms sustaining chronic defense. The preceding summary provided an overview of our most recent neuro-somatic synthesis. However, that brief encapsulation did not fully capture the intricate web of psychological, neurobiological, and somatic components explored in our ongoing conversation.

What follows is a more thorough breakdown, designed to encompass the entire scope of our dialogue. This summary interweaves psychoanalytic theory, developmental neurobiology, and somatic psychology, while highlighting the multi-system interactions that perpetuate a fragmented sense of self. As we move through these theories—spanning Winnicott’s psychoanalysis, Keleman’s Formative Psychology, and neurobiological research on the vagus nerve and primitive reflexes—we can begin to see how both the mind and body collaborate to form defenses that ultimately block authentic emotional expression and contribute to the ongoing cycle of distress.

In particular, once we examine trauma incurred prior to the age of about five, when speech and language centers are more myelinated, we shift into a realm where depth psychology gives way to subconscious processes. The complexity of these early traumas, often categorized under various terms, can obscure the underlying patterns. However, by aligning our understanding with contemporary neuroscience, we begin to recognize a pattern of heightened sympathetic stimulation or a freeze response, often mapped in the brain and various neural pathways.

This alignment allows us to expand the qualitative language of depth psychology, incorporating insights from neuroscience. We can then integrate these findings with the sinew channels and fascial bracing patterns observed in somatic therapy. Though pioneers like Reich, Keleman, and the early somatic therapists contributed significantly to this field, their work lacked a unified path forward—until now. This synthesis not only deepens our understanding of the neuro-somatic mechanisms at play but also reflects the profound archetypal imagery that emerges from the unconscious, especially in response to terror and trauma. These images, which have resonated with me most deeply through my own experiences as a singer, dancer, and performer in film and theater, serve as powerful representations of the universal patterns found within the psyche—patterns that shape both individual and collective experiences.

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I. The Psychological Foundation (The "Software")

The defensive self is not random; it is a structured response to early relational failure, rooted in the need to preserve psychic integrity.

• The True vs. False Self (Winnicott): The True Self is the core of spontaneity and authentic feeling⁸. The False Self is a compliant, protective organization developed to shield the True Self from annihilation.
• The Suicide Defense (Kalsched): In extreme cases, the psyche creates a "Demonic Protector" that chooses self-sabotage over the risk of re-exposure to pain.
• The Somatic Form (Keleman): These psychological defenses are not abstract; they are locked into the body’s Form (e.g., Rigid Outer, Collapsed Inner) via the inhibition of pulsation.

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II. The Biological Substrate (The "Hardware")

We argue that Kalsched’s "Protectors" are specific neuro-fascial states mediated by the Vestibular System, the Liver (Jueyin), and the Periaqueductal Gray (PAG).

1. The General Under Siege (Jueyin Collapse)

• The Concept: In TCM, the Liver (Jueyin) is "The General," functionally analogous to the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC)—the architect of strategy and vision.
• The Failure: When the General is incapacitated by trauma or metabolic failure, the strategic mind goes offline. It is replaced by the reactive reflexes of the Brainstem (PAG).

2. The Gallbladder Buffer (Shaoyang Freeze)

• The Mechanism: The Gallbladder (Shaoyang) channel acts as a buffer to absorb excess sympathetic charge.
• The Somatic Lock: When overwhelmed, the Lateral Line of fascia freezes. This destroys Vestibular stability, cutting the "guy wires" that hold the head in space, leading to a loss of the horizon.

3. The Vascular Trap (The "All or Nothing" Switch)

This is the physiological bottleneck that enforces the "splitting" of the personality.

• Compression: The frozen Gallbladder channel creates spasticity in the SCM and Scalenes, compressing the Internal Carotid Artery.
• The Switch: This throttles blood flow to the PFC (The General). Without cortical fuel, the brain loses "analog" modulation and flips into a "Digital" survival mode mediated by the PAG.

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III. The Archetypal Mapping (The "Defense")

Carl Jung’s concept of archetypes offers a powerful lens through which we can view the structures of defense that arise when the psyche faces profound fragmentation. Archetypes are universal, primordial symbols or motifs that govern the deep, instinctual processes of the unconscious mind.

In this context, when the General (the strategic mind) falters, and the vascular trap closes, the psyche bifurcates to protect itself from the dissolution of the Self. This forms two distinct shields—manifestations of deep-seated defensive patterns activated to keep the individual from confronting the painful dissolution of their True Self.

1. The Core: The "Danny Torrance" State (The Void)

• The State: Based on The Shining, this is the "Inviolate Spirit" trapped in the void. It represents Vestibular Void—total orientation failure.
• The Experience: It is not fear; it is the dissolution of the Self.

2. The Bifurcation: Two Shields Against the Void

To avoid the "Danny" state, the system constructs a False Self based on one of two vascular/PAG signatures.

A. The Yin Shield ("Nessa Rose"):  The Distorted Caregiver

In the context of Jungian archetypes, the Yin Shield is an embodiment of the archetype of "The Caregiver", but with a distinct twist: a form of weaponized fragility. Just as the Caregiver archetype is often associated with nurturing, Nessa Rose (from Wicked) represents a distortion where "giving to get" becomes a mechanism of emotional manipulation.

This shield is inherently passive, relying on others to provide emotional support while creating instability by binding them with a complex web of need. It does not confront the Void directly but seeks to navigate its terror by outsourcing internal regulation to an external "Other".

• Source: Wicked (Weaponized Fragility)
• Strategy: "Giving to Get".
• Mechanism: Uses passivity/volatility to bind others; outsourcing regulation.
• PAG State: vlPAG Activation (Implosion/Freeze)
• Clinical: Dependent, Histrionic, Borderline traits.

B. The Yang Shield ("The Rioter"):  The Distorted Warrior

The Yang Shield embodies the archetype of "The Warrior" or "The Hero"—figures known for confronting threats. However, for The Rioter, this archetype is weaponized and turned inward to guard against the existential collapse of the self.

The Rioter actively seeks confrontation, using hostility and destructive behaviors to create a sense of stability and control. Much like the Hero’s journey involves confronting darkness, the Rioter's defensive mechanism triggers a dlPAG Activation (Explosion/Fight)⁴³. This shield is outwardly powerful but internally fragile, designed to fill the emptiness with destructive energy rather than constructive expression.

• Source: The "Mob" (Weaponized Force).
• Strategy: "Taking to Survive".
• Mechanism: Uses aggression/conflict to generate a proprioceptive "edge" against the void.
• PAG State: dlPAG Activation (Explosion/Fight).
• Clinical: Narcissistic, Antisocial traits.

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IV. The Modern Context & Clinical Solution

1. The Democratization of the PAG

Modern stressors have dismantled the biological buffers that once allowed us to resist these archetypes.

• Metabolic Collapse: Blue light suppresses melatonin, leading to Liver Lipid Metabolism Failure. The "General" is starved of sleep and glucose.
• Predictive Coding: The brain prioritizes a "Known Hell" (The Rioter/Nessa pathways) over the "Unknown Void" (Healing/Danny State) because myelinated pathways are energy-efficient.

2. The Treatment Hierarchy

"Insight" (Talk Therapy) is insufficient because it speaks to the Cortex, but the problem is located in the Fascia and Brainstem.

1. Metabolic/Circadian: Restore the General's sleep (Lipid metabolism).
2. Somatic/Vestibular: Unfreeze the Gallbladder Channel (release the neck/carotid) to restore the horizon.
3. Psychological: Only then can the patient de-construct the Archetypal Defense without falling into the Void

Copyright & Trademark Notice: The content of this article, including all theories regarding the "Archetypal Defenses" and neuro-somatic mappings, is the exclusive intellectual property of Dr. Jennifer Moffitt and Polyvagal Acupuncture Inc. This work has been filed and registered with the U.S. Library of Congress. Polyvagal Acupuncture® is a federally registered trademark. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or derivative works will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law.

References

Theoretical Foundations

• Jung, C. G. (1969). The archetypes and the collective unconscious (R. F. C. Hull, Trans.). Princeton University Press. (Original work published 1959)
• Kalsched, D. (1996). The inner world of trauma: Archetypal defenses of the personal spirit. Routledge.
• Keleman, S. (1985). Emotional anatomy. Center Press.
• Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Winnicott, D. W. (1965). The maturational processes and the facilitating environment: Studies in the theory of emotional development. International Universities Press.

Author's Manuscripts

• Moffitt, J. (2025). Mapping the neurobiology of the archetypal defense: The Polyvagal Acupuncture® integrative model [Unpublished manuscript]. Polyvagal Acupuncture Inc.
• Moffitt, J. (2024). What is Polyvagal Acupuncture?®.  US Library of Congress.
• Moffitt, J. (2025). From self to soma: A multi-system model of personality fragmentation and chronic defense [Unpublished manuscript]. Polyvagal Acupuncture Inc.
• Moffitt, J. (2025). The biological substrate: The general under siege [Unpublished manuscript]. Polyvagal Acupuncture Inc.