Nervous System Almanac | Temporal Emotional Alchemy

Nervous System Almanac

A field guide to how human nervous systems move through time. No state is good or bad. Trouble begins when a state becomes stuck. Hover or tap an orb to explore each state in detail.
Coherent Presence
Rhythm coherent. Breath, emotion, and attention align. The system can update without bracing.
Energy steady. Sustainable output without depletion. You can mobilize or rest without whiplash.
Focus wide. Self, others, and environment are all online. Connection and learning are available.
Coherent Presence
Calm, grounded, connected.
Rhythm coherent Energy steady Focus wide
Playful Expansion
Rhythm flexible. Tempo shifts feel safe. The body can improvise.
Energy buoyant. Light upward availability. Effort feels possible.
Focus playful. Curiosity without a threat filter. Novelty feels nourishing.
Playful Expansion
Creativity, curiosity, ease.
Rhythm flexible Energy buoyant Focus playful
Anticipatory Readiness
Rhythm tightening. Variability narrows as the system prepares. Timing becomes more rigid.
Energy rising. Activation ramps up. Completion and discharge matter later.
Focus future. Attention moves ahead of now into prediction and planning.
Anticipatory Readiness
Something is coming.
Rhythm tightening Energy rising Focus future
Mobilized Focus
Rhythm organized. Energy channels into structured action. Useful, rigid if prolonged.
Energy high. Strong mobilization for performance, problem solving, and execution.
Focus narrow. Attention locks to task relevant cues. The rest fades.
Mobilized Focus
Get it done energy.
Rhythm organized Energy high Focus narrow
Hypervigilant Scanning
Rhythm fast. High frequency activation prioritizes detection over integration.
Energy high. Sustained output with a rising cost. Sleep and digestion often degrade.
Focus splintered. Attention fragments across possible threats. Settling becomes difficult.
Hypervigilant Scanning
Constant threat detection.
Rhythm fast Energy high Focus splintered
Escape Urgency
Rhythm accelerating. Speed increases faster than feedback can regulate. The system outruns its brakes.
Energy surging. Rapid mobilization without modulation. Panic sensations often appear.
Focus exit seeking. Attention prioritizes escape routes and avoidance above everything else.
Escape Urgency
Panic and flight.
Rhythm accelerating Energy surging Focus exit seeking
Appease and Attune
Rhythm adaptive. Timing adjusts to others cues. Safety is negotiated through attunement.
Energy controlled. Mobilization is held in check. Readiness is present, restrained.
Focus other focused. Attention tracks others states more than self signals, often at a cost.
Appease and Attune
Harmony seeking, people pleasing, self suppression.
Rhythm adaptive Energy controlled Focus other focused
Protective Force
Rhythm sharp. Abrupt timing. Boundaries get loud and fast.
Energy hot. Mobilization for defense. Useful short term, corrosive if constant.
Focus target. Attention locks onto the obstacle or threat. Nuance disappears.
Protective Force
Fight energy, anger, boundary drive.
Rhythm sharp Energy hot Focus target
Freeze and Hold
Rhythm conflicting. Mobilization and inhibition compete. Action is present, blocked.
Energy trapped. Power in the system with no clear outlet. Tension and stuckness build.
Focus looping. Attention circles without resolution. Thought repeats to reduce risk.
Freeze and Hold
High energy with the brakes on.
Rhythm conflicting Energy trapped Focus looping
Resonant Grief
Rhythm slow. Low frequency oscillation with emotional presence intact. It hurts, and it moves.
Energy low. Reduced output without collapse. The system stays connected.
Focus intimate. Attention rests close to what is true. Meaning making is available.
Resonant Grief
Heavy, tender, real. Sadness with presence intact.
Rhythm slow Energy low Focus intimate
Tonic Immobility
Rhythm locked. Minimal variability. Timing freezes to prevent overwhelm.
Energy frozen. Mobilization immobilized. The body defends by becoming still.
Focus narrowed. Awareness constricts sharply. The world becomes a tunnel.
Tonic Immobility
Fright stillness. Locked down when escape feels impossible.
Rhythm locked Energy frozen Focus narrowed
Shutdown
Rhythm slowed. System timing decreases to conserve resources under overwhelm.
Energy very low. Metabolic output drops toward survival minimum. Emotion can flatten.
Focus distant. Attention disconnects from present experience to reduce felt intensity.
Shutdown
Numb, collapsed, distant.
Rhythm slowed Energy very low Focus distant
Integrative Afterglow
Rhythm wideband. Multiple tempos coexist without conflict. Integration becomes possible.
Energy gentle. Soft availability without urgency. The system is online, not pushing.
Focus spacious. Attention widens without pressure to act. Consolidation and meaning can land.
Integrative Afterglow
Quiet openness after release.
Rhythm wideband Energy gentle Focus spacious
Zócalo