Recent neuroscientific research has revolutionized our understanding of human attachment and emotional development. Our nervous system regulation patterns, neurochemical systems, and capacity for bonding develop through attachment experiences, safety, and relational conditioning throughout our lives. This report synthesizes groundbreaking research from leading scientists in attachment theory, developmental neuroscience, and trauma studies to explain how our brains and bodies learn to find safety, connection, and regulation through relationships.
How Relationships Wire the Nervous System
The revolution in neuroscience over the past three decades has revealed something remarkable: the human nervous system is not born fully programmed but develops its regulation patterns through relationships. Our capacity to feel safe, to connect with others, to manage stress, and to experience emotional wellbeing all emerge from the quality of our early attachment experiences.
The Nervous System Learns Safety Through Co-Regulation
Dr. Stephen Porges’s Polyvagal Theory provides the foundation for understanding how this process works. The vagus nerve—our primary parasympathetic nerve connecting brain to body—evolved in mammals specifically to support social connection. Porges describes three neural circuits that regulate our responses:
- The Social Engagement System – enables face-to-face connection, vocal communication, and feelings of safety
- The Mobilization System – activates when safety is threatened (fight-or-flight)
- The Immobilization System – engages when escape seems impossible (freeze/shutdown)
Here’s the critical insight: these systems develop through a process Porges calls co-regulation. Infants don’t initially have the capacity to regulate their own nervous systems. Instead, caregivers and infants co-regulate through reciprocal cues—facial expressions, vocal tones, touch, and presence. Through thousands of these interactions, the infant’s nervous system learns patterns of regulation.
As Porges explains, “attachment is not merely an emotional or cognitive construct—it is a neurophysiological process rooted in the calibration of the autonomic nervous system through relational co-regulation” (Porges, 2025).
When attachment is secure and consistent, the nervous system learns: The world can be safe. I can return to calm. Connection helps me regulate.
When attachment is inconsistent or threatening, the nervous system learns different lessons: Safety is unreliable. I must stay vigilant. I’m on my own.
Source: Porges, S.W. (2025). “Polyvagal Theory: Current Status, Clinical Applications, and Future Directions.” Clinical Neuropsychiatry; Porges, S.W. (2022). “Polyvagal Theory: A Science of Safety.” Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience.
The Brain Builds Itself Around Relationships
Dr. Allan Schore’s research reveals how this learning happens at the level of brain structure. His Regulation Theory demonstrates that early attachment experiences literally shape the architecture of the developing brain—particularly the right hemisphere, which dominates emotional processing and regulation.
“The self-organization of the developing brain occurs in the context of a relationship with another self, another brain” (Schore, 1996).
During face-to-face emotional exchanges, the caregiver’s regulated nervous system helps organize the infant’s developing neural circuits. This “affect synchrony” creates enduring patterns—what attachment researchers call “internal working models”—that determine how we regulate emotions throughout our lives.
Secure attachment promotes optimal development of the orbitofrontal cortex, a brain region crucial for:
- Reading social and emotional cues
- Regulating emotional responses
- Making decisions based on feelings and context
- Maintaining stable relationships
The implications are profound: the quality of our early relationships doesn’t just influence our psychology—it shapes our neurobiology.
Source: Schore, A.N. (2001). “The effects of a secure attachment relationship on right brain development, affect regulation, and infant mental health.” Infant Mental Health Journal; Schore, A.N. (2008). “Modern Attachment Theory: The Central Role of Affect Regulation in Development and Treatment.” Clinical Social Work Journal.
The Neurochemistry of Bonding: Oxytocin, Dopamine, and Beyond
Understanding how the nervous system develops through relationships requires understanding the neurochemical systems that underpin bonding, motivation, and regulation. Research has revealed that these systems don’t operate in isolation but work together in sophisticated ways to create the experience of attachment.
The Oxytocin-Dopamine Connection
Research on prairie voles—one of the few monogamous rodent species—has revealed crucial insights into the neurochemistry of bonding that apply across mammalian species, including humans.
Oxytocin, often called the “bonding hormone,” is released during:
- Childbirth and breastfeeding
- Physical touch and affection
- Moments of trust and connection
- Social recognition and approach behaviors
Dopamine, the “motivation and reward” neurotransmitter, is critical for:
- Reward-based learning
- Motivation and goal-directed behavior
- Feelings of pleasure and satisfaction
- Social reward processing
The breakthrough discovery: These systems must work together for bonding to occur. Research by Liu et al. (2003) demonstrated that both oxytocin and dopamine D2-type receptors must be activated simultaneously in the nucleus accumbens (the brain’s reward center) for pair bonds to form. Blocking either receptor prevents bonding—even when the other is artificially stimulated.
As noted in recent research: “Oxytocin and dopamine interact within the nucleus accumbens to maintain monogamous pair bonds” (Loth & Donaldson, 2021). This interaction combines social focus (oxytocin) with motivation and vigor (dopamine), allowing the brain to reorganize neural networks around new attachments.
The human application: Feldman’s research (2017) on human attachments shows these same mechanisms underpin maternal bonding, paternal bonding, romantic attachment, and close friendships. The integration of oxytocin and dopamine in the striatum “ignites bonding, imbuing attachments with motivation and vigor.”
The Orchestra of Neurochemical Systems
While oxytocin and dopamine take center stage in bonding research, they’re part of a larger neurochemical orchestra:
Serotonin plays a crucial role in mood regulation and emotional stability. Secure attachment promotes healthy serotonin system development, contributing to emotional resilience and wellbeing.
Vasopressin, oxytocin’s molecular cousin, also contributes to social bonding and pair bond maintenance, particularly in behaviors related to territoriality and partner protection.
GABA-related pathways facilitate calming and relaxation responses, essential for downregulating from threat states and accessing feelings of safety.
The endogenous opioid system (our brain’s natural pain-relief system) is activated during social bonding and physical affection, contributing to the pleasurable and comforting aspects of attachment.
The critical point: All these systems develop through relational experience and adaptive learning. They are shaped through the quality and consistency of attachment relationships, creating lifelong patterns of how we experience safety, connection, motivation, and reward.
Sources: Liu, Y., et al. (2003). “Nucleus accumbens oxytocin and dopamine interact to regulate pair bond formation in female prairie voles.” Neuroscience; Loth, M.K. & Donaldson, Z.R. (2021). “Oxytocin, Dopamine, and Opioid Interactions Underlying Pair Bonding.” Endocrinology; Feldman, R. (2017). “The Neurobiology of Human Attachments.” Trends in Cognitive Sciences.
From External to Internal Regulation: The Development of Safety
A profound insight emerges from this research: the nervous system learns to find safety through two primary pathways, both rooted in attachment.
Insecure Attachment: External Regulation
When attachment is inconsistent or threatening, the nervous system becomes wired toward external regulation. This manifests as:
- “I do good → I feel good” (driven by dopamine and reward-seeking)
- Need for external validation and approval
- Difficulty accessing internal sense of safety
- Reliance on achievement, performance, or others’ reactions for regulation
- Hyperactivation of the sympathetic nervous system
- Difficulty downregulating even when threat is absent
This pattern reflects what Porges describes as a dominance of the mobilization system—always preparing for action, always seeking the next achievement or validation to feel temporarily safe.
Secure Attachment: Internal Regulation
When attachment is consistent and attuned, the nervous system develops capacity for internal regulation:
- “I feel good → I do good” (supported by oxytocin, serotonin, and healthy vagal tone)
- Internal sense of safety and worthiness
- Ability to self-soothe and regulate emotions
- Grounded action arising from connection and presence
- Balanced nervous system with access to social engagement
- Capacity to rest, recover, and experience contentment
This pattern reflects what Porges describes as robust vagal tone—the ability to activate the social engagement system, feel safe in one’s body, and maintain physiological flexibility.
The Balance: Doing vs. Being
The research reveals a fundamental balance in human functioning:
Doing (Mobilization/Achievement) involves:
- Purpose and goal-directed action
- Motivation and drive
- External accomplishment
- Forward momentum
Being (Connection/Presence) involves:
- Internal sense of safety
- Relationship and bonding
- Grounded presence
- Contentment in the moment
Both are essential for wellbeing. The question is not which is better, but: Where did our nervous system learn to find safety?
- Systems shaped by secure attachment have easier access to “being” while maintaining capacity for “doing”
- Systems shaped by insecure attachment often rely heavily on “doing” with limited access to “being”
- The balance between doing and being, purpose and connection, motivation and bonding reflects how our nervous system learned to find safety in early life
These are developmental and relational adaptations—patterns learned through thousands of interactions that taught our nervous system what to expect from the world and how to navigate it.
When Development Goes Wrong: Trauma and Dysregulation
Understanding normal development helps us understand what happens when attachment is severely disrupted or trauma occurs.
Trauma Lives in the Nervous System
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk’s groundbreaking work demonstrates that trauma literally reshapes the brain and body. His research shows:
- Trauma affects areas of the brain dedicated to pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust
- The effects of trauma cannot be addressed through talk therapy alone—the body must be involved
- Disrupted attachment creates vulnerability to trauma and affects how trauma is processed
- Abusive or neglectful attachment relationships produce children who lack a secure sense of connection
As van der Kolk emphasizes: “Trauma is not just an event that took place sometime in the past; it is also the imprint left by that experience on mind, brain, and body.”
Source: van der Kolk, B. (2014). “The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma.” Viking Press.
The Body Remembers What the Mind Forgets
Dr. Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing approach recognizes that trauma is stored in the nervous system as incomplete survival responses. His work reveals:
- Animals in the wild naturally “discharge” traumatic activation through trembling and shaking
- Humans often suppress these natural responses, leaving the nervous system stuck in threat states
- The reptilian brain (survival) and limbic system (emotions) store trauma before the cortex (thinking) can process it
- Healing requires gently completing thwarted biological responses
Levine’s observation is crucial: “Trauma is not in the event, but in the nervous system.”
This explains why two people can experience the same event with vastly different outcomes—it’s not about the event itself, but about whether the nervous system was able to complete its natural stress response cycle.
Source: Levine, P.A. (2010). “In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness.” North Atlantic Books; Payne, P., Levine, P.A., & Crane-Godreau, M.A. (2015). “Somatic experiencing: using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy.” Frontiers in Psychology.
Development Happens in Sequence
Dr. Bruce Perry’s Neurosequential Model shows how trauma and neglect affect brain development in a predictable sequence:
The brain develops from the bottom up:
- Brainstem (survival functions) – develops first
- Limbic system (emotions and relationships) – develops next
- Cortex (thinking and reasoning) – develops last
When trauma occurs early in development, it affects the foundation—disrupting all subsequent development. This is why early attachment trauma has such pervasive effects: it shapes the very systems that will later regulate emotions, relationships, and stress responses.
Perry’s work emphasizes that interventions must be “developmentally appropriate”—addressing the level of the brain that was affected, working from the bottom up.
Source: Perry, B.D. & Hambrick, E. (2008). “The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics.” Reclaiming Children and Youth; Perry, B.D. (2009). “Examining child maltreatment through a neurodevelopmental lens.” Journal of Loss and Trauma.
Implications for Healing: Yoga and Embodied Practice
This neuroscientific understanding has profound implications for healing. If the nervous system learns regulation through relationships and stores trauma in the body, then healing must address both the relational and embodied dimensions of experience.
Why Yoga Works: A Neuroscience Perspective
Yoga directly addresses nervous system regulation through multiple pathways:
Breathwork (Pranayama)
- Activates the parasympathetic nervous system via vagal stimulation
- Shifts from sympathetic (stress) to parasympathetic (rest) dominance
- Provides direct experience of self-regulation
- Teaches the nervous system that it can shift states voluntarily
Movement and Postures (Asana)
- Completes incomplete survival responses stored in muscular patterns
- Provides proprioceptive feedback that signals safety to the brainstem
- Helps discharge trauma stored in postural holding patterns
- Builds body awareness and interoceptive capacity
Meditation and Presence
- Cultivates internal awareness (interoception)
- Develops capacity to witness sensations without reactivity
- Builds internal sense of safety independent of external validation
- Strengthens the social engagement system by promoting calm presence
Community and Co-regulation
- Group practice provides opportunities for safe social engagement
- Practicing together activates the social engagement system
- Co-regulation in community helps rewire attachment patterns
- Creates a relational container for nervous system healing
From External to Internal: The Journey of Practice
Yoga practice offers a pathway from external to internal regulation:
Phase 1: Learning to Regulate Initially, the teacher’s calm presence and structured practice provide external regulation—similar to how a caregiver regulates an infant’s nervous system.
Phase 2: Experiencing Internal States Through repeated practice, students develop awareness of their internal states—noticing sensations, emotions, and the quality of their nervous system activation.
Phase 3: Self-Regulation Over time, practitioners develop capacity to shift their own nervous system states—accessing calm, presence, and internal safety without needing external cues.
Phase 4: Integration Ultimately, the capacity for internal regulation extends beyond the mat into daily life, fundamentally changing one’s relationship with stress, emotion, and connection.
The Self Expansion: Bridging Ancient Wisdom and Modern Neuroscience
This is where The Self Expansion enters with its innovative corporate burnout prevention and recovery program. By integrating yoga techniques with this neuroscientific understanding of attachment and nervous system regulation, The Self Expansion offers organizations a comprehensive approach to employee wellbeing.
Why This Matters for Corporations
The research is clear: chronic stress and burnout are fundamentally issues of nervous system dysregulation. When employees operate primarily from external regulation (“I do good → I feel good”), they:
- Rely on achievement and performance for a sense of safety
- Have difficulty recovering from stress
- Experience burnout as nervous system depletion
- Struggle with sustainable motivation and engagement
- Cannot access the restorative “being” state necessary for recovery
The Self Expansion’s Approach
By combining Eastern practices with Western neuroscience, The Self Expansion’s program:
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Educates employees about nervous system regulation and attachment patterns in accessible, relatable ways
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Provides practical tools through yoga and breathwork to shift from sympathetic (stress) to parasympathetic (rest) activation
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Creates safe relational contexts where co-regulation and internal safety can develop
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Addresses root causes rather than just symptoms, supporting sustainable wellbeing
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Validates ancient practices with cutting-edge neuroscience, making them accessible to Western business culture
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Builds capacity for internal regulation, enabling employees to access the restorative states necessary for sustained performance
The ROI of Nervous System Health
When employees develop greater capacity for internal regulation and access to “being” states while maintaining their “doing” capacity:
- Stress resilience increases – employees bounce back faster from challenges
- Recovery improves – access to parasympathetic states enables true rest
- Creativity flourishes – the relaxed-alert state supports innovation
- Engagement sustains – motivation comes from internal sense of purpose rather than fear or external pressure
- Team cohesion strengthens – healthy co-regulation improves collaboration
- Healthcare costs decrease – chronic stress-related illness declines
- Retention improves – employees feel supported at a fundamental level
- Performance stabilizes – sustainable output replaces boom-bust cycles
Conclusion: The Promise of Neuroplasticity
The most hopeful finding from this research is that the nervous system remains plastic—capable of change—throughout life. While early attachment experiences lay foundational patterns, subsequent relationships and experiences can modify these patterns.
As this research demonstrates:
- The vagus nerve and polyvagal system can develop new patterns through consistent co-regulation (Porges)
- Right brain emotional circuitry can be reshaped by attuned relationships (Schore)
- Neural plasticity means supportive relationships throughout life can rewire the brain (Cozolino)
- Neurochemical systems respond to new relational experiences and practices
- The body can release stored trauma through gentle, mindful approaches (van der Kolk, Levine)
- The brain can build new regulatory capacity at any age (Perry)
The key insight: Our nervous systems develop through relational experience and adaptive learning. These systems evolve through lived relationships, creating patterns of how we experience safety, connection, motivation, and reward.
The balance between doing and being, purpose and connection, motivation and bonding reflects how our nervous systems learned to find safety in early life—but these patterns can change. Through embodied practices like yoga that directly address nervous system regulation, through safe relationships that provide co-regulation, and through awareness that allows us to recognize and shift our patterns, we can rewire our nervous systems toward greater flexibility, resilience, and wellbeing.
Programs like The Self Expansion that understand these principles and offer embodied practices to support nervous system regulation are not just wellness initiatives—they are evidence-based interventions addressing the fundamental mechanisms of human flourishing. They offer employees not just stress management techniques, but a pathway to fundamentally transform their relationship with stress, emotion, and connection.
References
Stephen Porges:
- Porges, S.W. (2025). Polyvagal Theory: Current Status, Clinical Applications, and Future Directions. Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 22(3), 175-191.
- Porges, S.W. (2022). Polyvagal Theory: A Science of Safety. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience.
- Porges, S.W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. W.W. Norton & Company.
Allan Schore:
- Schore, A.N. (2008). Modern Attachment Theory: The Central Role of Affect Regulation in Development and Treatment. Clinical Social Work Journal, 36, 9-20.
- Schore, A.N. (2001). The effects of a secure attachment relationship on right brain development, affect regulation, and infant mental health. Infant Mental Health Journal, 22(1-2), 7-66.
- Schore, A.N. (1994). Affect Regulation and the Origin of the Self. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Daniel Siegel:
- Siegel, D.J. (2001). Toward an interpersonal neurobiology of the developing mind: Attachment relationships, “mindsight,” and neural integration. Infant Mental Health Journal, 22(1-2), 67-94.
- Siegel, D.J. (1999). The Developing Mind: Toward a Neurobiology of Interpersonal Experience. Guilford Press.
Louis Cozolino:
- Cozolino, L. (2014). The Neuroscience of Human Relationships: Attachment and the Developing Social Brain (2nd Edition). W.W. Norton & Company.
- Cozolino, L. (2017). The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy: Healing the Social Brain (3rd Edition). W.W. Norton & Company.
Oxytocin and Dopamine Research:
- Liu, Y., et al. (2003). Nucleus accumbens oxytocin and dopamine interact to regulate pair bond formation in female prairie voles. Neuroscience, 121, 537-544.
- Loth, M.K. & Donaldson, Z.R. (2021). Oxytocin, Dopamine, and Opioid Interactions Underlying Pair Bonding: Highlighting a Potential Role for Microglia. Endocrinology, 162(2).
- Feldman, R. (2017). The Neurobiology of Human Attachments. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 21(2), 80-99.
Bessel van der Kolk:
- van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking Press.
Peter Levine:
- Levine, P.A. (2010). In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness. North Atlantic Books.
- Payne, P., Levine, P.A., & Crane-Godreau, M.A. (2015). Somatic experiencing: using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 93.
Bruce Perry:
- Perry, B.D. & Hambrick, E. (2008). The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 17(3), 38-43.
- Perry, B.D. (2009). Examining child maltreatment through a neurodevelopmental lens: clinical application of the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 14, 240-255.
This report was prepared to synthesize cutting-edge neuroscientific research on attachment, nervous system regulation, and the neurochemistry of bonding. The findings support embodied approaches to healing and wellbeing, including yoga-based interventions for corporate burnout prevention and recovery.