Autonomic Spectrum Poster

Your Autonomic Nervous System is the bodily system that has the deepest impact on your wellbeing. Most people do not understand it at all. Help your patients, clients, and yourself understand the relationships between Autonomic states in simple and clear visual language, using the metaphor of water in three states, and color theory to explore the relationships between states.

Our newest poster integrates Hearth Science clinical research into autonomic physiology with Polvyagal Theory and Color Theory to provide a visually unified exploration of the full spectrum of autonomic state through the lens of color. The ANS is not a ladder (it is not linear). It is a circle (complex, dynamic, and holistic). The poster visually expresses the fundamental relatedness between autonomic state, suggesting the ways that the movement of our center of gravity between safety, danger, and lifethreat colors the experiences we have.

This poster is a unique synthesis of our work in bringing Autonomic Physiology to a mainstream audience, utilizing the visual metaphor of water in three states, and a color wheel that derives hybrids from primary colors to demonstrate state as a spectrum not a hierarchy.

A joyful complement to your treatment or waiting room, the theory helps us bring the Autonomic Nervous System, which will have the greatest influence of any biological system over your wellbeing, alive for patients, clients, and the general public in a way that people can feel, relate to, and understand.

We LOVE THE POSTER. It's amazing, very useful and the visual elements really support nuanced understanding.

–Benjamin Smith, Neurologically-informed Bodyworker

My first immediate response is WOW!!!! This is brilliantly laid out and helps to convey many of the nuances in the various physiological states...I also think the spiral is a much better way of depicting the states rather than a linear form - although admittedly I do use the ladder concept with some of my clients as it helps them to visualize finding a way to climb up, as well as a way to stay anchored in ventral when they find themselves dropping to dorsal. I LOVE that you are depicting this as a 3-dimensional model. You have an amazing way of operationalizing complex concepts by naming them visually, at the same time maintaining the complexity of the concepts.

-Dr. Niloufer Merchant, Psychologist and TEDx presenter of How My Nervous System became My Cup of Tea

This is fire!!!

–Earl Simms, Founder, Restorative Community Solutions

Looks good.

–Dr. Stephen Porges, Developer of the Polyvagal Theory