We Are Shaping Each Other: The Science of Co-Regulation

Elisabeth Kristof (0:00)

Yeah, what you were just talking about, Jen, makes me think of this really interesting area of emerging research, hyperscanning, where they can look at two different people's brains as they're interacting and see that with that interaction, there is synchronicity in how their brains start to create synchronicity in their firing patterns. And so there's actual shifts in what networks are being activated, how the brain is functioning with this interaction.

And that is just so cool to think about. It's really wild to think about that we can influence each other's brain function. And it also makes sense when you think about the input interpretation model, because if someone else's signals are the inputs, then that would naturally start to change the interpretation, how my brain is responding, and then what the outputs are. Welcome to Trauma Rewired, where neuroscience becomes a pathway to greater capacity, deeper connection, and expanded possibility. I'm Elisabeth Kristof, founder of NeuroSomatic Intelligence and brainbase.com. I'm an applied neurology and somatics practitioner who has worked with thousands of people and professionals to support healing, resilience, and human development.

Jennifer Wallace (1:11)

And I'm Jennifer Wallace, an educator, facilitator, and founder of Sacred Synapse, where I explore psychedelic neuroscience, consciousness, and sacred wisdom. This season, we're widening the lens to explore how adaptable nervous systems are to shape our relationships, leadership, creativity, purpose, belonging, and the ways that we participate in the world around us.

Elisabeth Kristof (1:32)

Understanding trauma is only part of the story. Over the past five seasons, we've explored how survival shapes the brain, body, nervous system, but healing was never the final destination. This season, we're exploring bigger questions. What becomes possible when survival is no longer consuming all of our resources?

Jennifer Wallace (1:50)

How do we move beyond individual healing to understand larger forces shaping our nervous systems, our relationships, and our shared human experience? And what becomes possible when we begin creating something different together?

Elisabeth Kristof (2:04)

If these conversations resonate with you, subscribe to Trauma Rewired and share the show with someone who could benefit from it. Now, let's get in to today's episode.

Welcome back, Matt. Matt Bush is an incredible applied neurology expert, founder of Next Level Neuro, and my co-lead educator at Neurosomatic Intelligence Coaching Certification. And I'm so excited to dive in today with both of you exploring the science of co-regulation and human connection as we move into this new season that goes beyond the individual and looks at the larger forces that shape our nervous system and also how nervous system work impacts more than just the individual, but can really be a catalyst for collective change. I think this topic is so appropriate to start at the foundation with how do we connect and what is really happening with co-regulation.

Matt Bush (2:57)

Thank you. I'm excited to be back and excited about this topic and that idea that neurology is more than the individual.

This whole concept of our brain and bodies are constantly reading and predicting from the sensory inputs that we get, and then trying to make predictions, but it makes neurology a little bit more collective. The connection part of it is more biological than we sometimes realize. It's not just emotional.

Jennifer Wallace (3:24)

Yeah. I think this is going to be really fascinating for people because I think co-regulation often gets shortlisted as the ability to feel calm with someone. That is a very narrow way to think about co-regulation. Today, we get to explore what it's like to participate in co-regulation and be an active part of something bigger than us.

Elisabeth Kristof (3:46)

Yeah. That's exactly what I want to start by looking at is, what do we really mean when we're talking about co-regulation? Because it's a word that gets thrown out there a lot. What is really happening? What are the mechanisms? I'm starting to understand that a little bit more. I think as we move into discussing the foundations of co-regulation, Ruth Feldman's research is very important because she has been researching this topic for decades.

Her research really shows us that when we are interacting, it's not just an emotional connection, but it is a continuous adaptation of two nervous systems interacting with one another. It's not like I'm changing someone's nervous system or just being calm, but it's really about how do two nervous systems start to adapt over and over again in the presence of one another. And that this starts in infancy with an infant adapting continuously to a caregiver, but then this spans out to all of our relationships, our friendships, our partnerships, and even in big collective spaces. And so it's really about a very physiological shift that is continuously occurring in our vocals, in our heart rate, in our breath. And so I really want to look at what are some of those mechanisms, and understand that a little bit better. So Matt, you want to dive into what some of these mechanisms are. What do we know about it? What's unknown?