Overwhelmed? How Somatic Inversion and Microdosing Can Help

Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Overstimulated? Both? Don’t worry, your brain isn't broken. It's just been given the wrong signals. Here is how to fix it: In relation to Microdosing and the therapeutic use of psychedelics, a lot has been said about how activity in the Default Mode Network decreases under the influence of psychedelics. However, not enough has been said about how the Task Positive Network has become chronically activated by mobile technology. Do you feel overwhelmed or overstimulated? Do you ever feel overwhelmed? Overstimulated? Both? Don’t worry, your brain isn't broken. It's just been given the wrong signals. Here is how to fix it:

The Default Mode Network, Task Positive Network and Microdosing

In relation to Microdosing and the therapeutic use of psychedelics, a lot has been said about how activity in the Default Mode Network decreases under the influence of psychedelics. However, not enough has been said about how the Task Positive Network has become chronically activated by mobile technology.

How mobile technology creates perpetual partial attention

Essentially, mobile technology has given us all PPA, ‘perpetual partial attention’. What this means is that we are constantly doing small tasks (like swiping, tapping, half-reading, scrolling, checking phone again and again), but achieving very little. It is perhaps no surprise then that we start to feel overwhelmed by what would normally be standard workloads or routines.

How brain networks send false stress signals

Moreover, an overstimulated TPN and dysregulated DMN send false signals to another really important area of the brain called the Salience Network. The SN is the brain’s relevance detector, detecting salient stimuli (emotional, cognitive and bodily information) to identify the most important, or emotionally significant thing in your internal or external environment, in every moment.

The role of the Salience Network in stress and anxiety

When the DMN is dysregulated and the TPN is overstimulated they affect our breathing patterns, our posture, our heart rate variability and even our anxiety levels, all of which send false signals to our Salience Network, telling it that we are under threat, in pain, feeling discomfort or under excessive stress when really, we are not being chased by a tiger, no one is pointing a gun at us, we are just sitting there, on our phones and laptops, sipping on a cappuccino.

What is Somatic Inversion?

The key to restore better regulation to the DMN and to rest the TPN is to reset the Salience Network through Somatic Inversion. This basically means that the body starts to inform the brain with true, calm signals not false alarms. The added power of doing this while Microdosing will be mentioned at the end but, for now, here is the outline process:

How to practise Somatic Inversion

By simply closing your eyes and slowing down your breathing pattern you apply gentle pressure on your internal brake, slowing momentum. Then, by focussing on the body, for example, the soles of your feet, or by rubbing your hands together to make them warm and then placing one hand on your stomach and one on your chest, to enjoy the warm feeling it gives, you send a signal to the SN that says ‘I am calm’, ‘It feels quite nice’, ‘I am comfortable’, all of which translate to ‘you are safe’, ‘there is no direct threat’ or ‘it’s going to be fine’.

Why repetition makes Somatic Inversion more effective

A simple process? Sure, but like anything the efficacy of the practise comes from repetition. The more you take a moment, a few times during the day, the more control you have generally and the less overwhelmed you will feel.

Somatic Inversion during a microdosing protocol

So, in short, bodily wisdom informs the brain. It is also guides intuition...and this is where the practising of Somatic Inversion during your Microdosing protocol really, really, grounds and expands your potential for transformation.

"Bodily wisdom informs the brain"

Why Somatic Inversion and microdosing work so well together

Why?

When you practise Somatic Inversion on your dose day (when activity in the DMN is already decreased) you naturally have less rumination and, with the SI practise, are more likely to experience deeper feelings of somatic presence. The combination of both, creates an internal space in which new ideas, or new insights, are much more likely to arrive. And when they do, this is when deep lasting transformation happens.

Teacher plants and truffles for Somatic Inversion

Bobinsana, San Pedro cactus and microdosing truffles

Teacher plants like Bobisana extract and San Pedro cactus are especially suited for practising Somatic Inversion but Microdosing truffles are also very popular within our community.