Nervous System Character Patterns
How your nervous system speaks
NERVOUS SYSTEM CHARACTER PATTERNS
How your nervous system speaks
We are all familiar with the nervous system. From a structural standpoint the nervous system is the brain, brainstem, spinal cord and all of the nerves that extend out of the spinal cord. If we breakdown that down even further we have what is called the somatic (voluntary) and autonomic (automatic) aspects of the nervous system, which regulate movement and internal body functions. In addition, the digestive system has a nervous system of its own called the enteric nervous system and the heart also has its own nervous system called the intrinsic cardiac system. These are the structural components.
While we are pretty versed in the architectural and even the physiological aspects of the nervous system, we are less familiar with the characterology or personalities of it. Characterology points to the patterns of the nervous system rather than just their form, and looks at function as an expression of learned habits, behaviors and tendencies. Through understanding and examining the personalities of the nervous system we can better understand its behaviors and functional expressions in the body.
You can think of character patterns as adaptive responses.
These are ways we learn to interact with our environment based on experiences. Everyone has some degree of every adaptive response. These patterns are intelligent and allow us to respond to life with the most resourcefulness that is available to us in any given moment. Character patterns can change over time and have a range of energy with which they can operate. When they have less energy they are focused on survival, containment and constriction, and when they are more energized they are focused on growth and expansion.
While these patterns are often confused as our identity, they are not. They are simply mechanisms of engagement with life that we learn through experience. You are not any single pattern or character that expresses through your nervous system, rather you are that which is aware of the expression of the character. When you realize this you can still play out the patterns as needed in order to navigate your human experience, but you know that you are just playing a part rather being the part.
These patterns of organization inform the function and structure of our bodies.
The interwoven nature of energy (pattern or character) with function and structure can’t be separated. Together they create the being that we experience as ourselves, which is not understood when we try to dissect everything out into individual parts. If we get overly focused on the pieces we lose sight of the bigger picture, which is the wholeness. From the perspective of wholeness we understand the movement, behaviors and actions of each part arising as the symphony that sings the song of our expression. Music doesn’t make much sense if it is just a bunch of single notes, but when we put them all together we get the experience of the song. Similarly if we take a series of random letters and try to make sense of them individually we don’t see the word or sentence they are a part of and lack understanding of the whole. We need to look to patterns in order to grok the function and structure of each part within it.
THE CHARACTERS
There are many players of the nervous system. I will touch on a few of the most common ones here so you can begin to understand them. Again none of these define you, they simply help you gain sight into underlying patterns that are at play and that express through your body and life. First I will state the name of the character. Then I will describe how they operate in a state of lesser energy and in states of greater energy. I will also make some subtle inferences in how they can behave or express in the body. In no particular order let’s begin.
1 - The Tracker. This character observes the environment. With less energy it scans for threat, is hyper-vigilant and can be spacey. In the body it can feel wiry or ungrounded and create symptoms or sensations that seem to be scattered everywhere throughout the body without a central source. Sensations frequently come and go and are difficult to pinpoint. It can also be hard to feel one’s self as much focus is directed out towards the space and others within it. With greater energy this character is able to have vast perspectives and see patterns within spaces or environments.
2 - The Reasoner. This character relies on logic, mental analyze and reason. With less energy it must mentally figure out or understand things concretely. It can also be rigid and inflexible. In the body there is often pressure or pain in the head and overall body tension or constriction. The muscles and connective tissue are taut. With greater energy this character has an inner pathway to direct knowledge without needing to study facts or receive external validation.
3 - The Acceptor. This character openly receives everything. With less energy it lacks self-integrity and lets everything into its space. It doesn’t discern and often has challenge receiving in and for itself. In the body there can be things that sag or are leaky. You might think of organ prolapse, leaky gut, malnutrition, a hernia or a herniated disc. There can also be a tendency to overeat in an attempt to get in nutrients because there is challenge with self-absorption or absorbing for the self. With greater energy this character is the embodiment of nourishment, fullness and unconditional love.
4 - The Achiever. This character gets things done and makes stuff happen. With less energy it pushes, forces, controls, overstretches and overrides. In the body this feels like taxation, adrenal fatigue, liver issues and trouble with nature cycles or rhythms such as hormonal imbalances or sleep disturbances. With greater energy this character becomes a clear vessel or channel for life to work through it. It can accomplish much work but without much effort.
5 - The Anchorer. This character stabilizes, bears down and roots. With less energy it feels weighed down, immovable and hard to mobilize into action. In the body you can think of constipation, hemorrhoids where there is straining, depression, lumps or nodules. With greater energy this character is present in the here and now and able to create stable forms and structure that are supportive.
6 - Way-shower. This character brings novelty and change. With less energy it feels misunderstood, unseen, like an outcast and as if it doesn’t fit anywhere. In the body this can manifest as autoimmunity, mysterious or unrecognizable symptoms, rare conditions, or things that shift unexpectedly and quickly. With greater energy this character is able to see things in ways that other people don’t see them. It looks out of the box and is able to make symbolic and metaphorical connections with physical expressions.
7 - The Leader. This character mobilizes, gathers and inspires others. With less energy this character can be suspicious, isolated from others and guarded or protective of self. It can also think of self as better or superior than others. In the body this can look like heart conditions, hypertension or trouble with the lungs or breathing. With greater energy this character becomes part of the group and leads with an open heart through inclusivity rather than superiority.
8 - The Be-er. This character knows rest and timing. With less energy it feels urgency, is restless and can’t settle. Attention might also be challenged. In the body there may be urinary urgency, premature ejaculation, restless legs or persistent muscle twitching. There also might be issues with cycles in the body like menses, sleep/wake or impaired glandular functioning such as the thyroid. With greater energy this character knows simultaneity and perfect timing. It also knows rested activity.
These are just a few of the key characters in the nervous system. You can likely identify some of them playing out their roles and scripts in your body or life. None of them are bad or good. They are just ways of seeing patterns. What I will note as important here is that the key to all of these patterns is energy. More energy creates more resourcefulness, which then gives us a better experience of life. How do we get more energy? The simple answer is we unblock our resistance to it. Energy is abundant. It is the building material of life. Opening up the channels in our body to receive it is a game of self-awareness, agency and seeing from new and expanded perspectives.
Dr. Amanda Lalita Love, DC, MSA, L.Ac
Network Spinal Chiropractor & Somatic Healer at the Sanctuary for Heart Magic, a Mentor for Heart-Led Healers at Soul Luminaries & the Writer of The Everyday Divine.
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