Norfolk
Therapy
Services
Norfolk
Therapy
Services
What is Neuroception?
Imagine having to consciously check for danger every moment of the day. Even cooking dinner would become exhausting—checking for the smell of gas, watching the hob and repeatedly making sure the doors and windows were locked. It would be almost impossible to focus on anything else.
​
Polyvagal theory uses the term neuroception to describe how the nervous system may carry out this monitoring automatically, outside conscious awareness. It continually responds to cues of safety and threat, contributing to our instinctive sense that something feels safe—or that something is not quite right.
What is Neuroception?
Imagine having to consciously check for danger throughout the day. It would be exhausting and leave little attention for anything else.
Polyvagal theory uses the term neuroception to describe how the nervous system may monitor for safety and threat automatically. This contributes to our instinctive sense of something feels safe, or not quite right.
When neuroception becomes unhelpful:
Neuroception is shaped by what the nervous system learns from experience. Over time, it becomes sensitive to particular situations, sensations and behaviours associated with danger.
Following trauma, this alarm system may respond not only to present threats but also to reminders of the past. Although the current situation may be safe, the nervous system reacts as if the original danger is happening again.
When neuroception becomes unhelpful:
Neuroception is shaped by what the nervous system learns from experience. Over time, it becomes sensitive to particular situations, sensations and behaviours associated with danger.
Following trauma, this alarm system may respond not only to present threats but also to reminders of the past. Although the current situation may be safe, the nervous system reacts as if the original danger is happening again.
3. Acknowledge similarities:
Try to list all the things the current trigger has in common with the past event.
2. Connect with the past: Acknowledge what past experience is being triggered in the moment.
1. Identify the trigger:
What is the event, body sensation or intrusion that has activated you?
4. Focus on differences: What is different now? Look for signs of current safety.
​
Discrimination training
Discrimination Training is a CBT technique to help establish 'then and now.' It can settle the nervous system by recognising when it is responding to reminders of the past rather than danger in the present:
Discrimination training
1. Identify the trigger:
What is the event, body sensation or intrusion that has activated you?
2. Connect with the past: Acknowledge what past experience is being triggered in the moment.
3. Acknowledge similarities:
Try to list all the things the current trigger has in common with the past event.
4. Focus on differences: What is different now? Look for signs of current safety.
​
Discrimination training
Discrimination training is a CBT technique to help establish 'then and now.' It can settle the nervous system by recognising when it is responding to reminders of the past rather than danger in the present:
1. Identify the trigger:
​
What is the event, body sensation or intrusion that has activated you?
2. Connect with the past:
Acknowledge what past experience is being triggered in the moment.
3. Acknowledge similarities:
​
Try to list all the things the current trigger has in common with the past event.
4. Focus on differences:
What is different now? Look for signs of current safety.
​