The autonomic hierarchy

The autonomic hierarchy is the layered order of nervous system states described by polyvagal theory. In this ordering, at the top is the ventral vagal state that provides being safe, in the middle the sympathetic state that mobilizes, and at the bottom the dorsal vagal state that ends in shutdown. As danger increases, the nervous system descends downward through these layers. This hierarchy shows that bodily responses are organized not at random but according to a certain logic. This order among states is like a safety map of the nervous system.