From Dissonance to Dissociation: How the Body’s Systems Reinforce Our Subconscious Defenses

What if the emotional filters and avoidance patterns we experience daily weren’t just a matter of mindset or willpower—but the result of complex, multi-system feedback loops working beneath our awareness, shaping how we perceive, interpret, and respond to internal and external reality?

These neurobiological feedback loops and emotional filters are not rare anomalies—they are everyday occurrences that shape how we instinctively react to stress, feedback, and social tension, often without conscious awareness.

Why We Deflect the Truth: The Neurobiology Behind Emotional Filters and Feedback Resistance

These layered neurobiological and biochemical interactions quietly govern our everyday behaviors, surfacing most often as subtle but persistent discomfort, indecision, or emotional reactivity. In particular, they shape whether we lean into self-awareness and adaptive reappraisal—or retreat into automatic, often unconscious, patterns of avoidance.

For example: when we receive critical feedback, even gently delivered, it may trigger a cascade beginning in the insula and anterior cingulate cortex, activating visceral discomfort and defensive narrative construction long before we consciously register the threat (introspection illusion).

Rather than engaging in introspective reappraisal, the body and brain may rally around a familiar secondary pattern—dismissiveness, deflection, or rationalization—designed to minimize discomfort rather than seek adaptation, and growth.

What if your resistance to feedback, change, or discomfort isn’t a flaw in your character—but a finely tuned, protective response rooted in your nervous system?

We often believe that if we just “tried harder” or “changed our mindset,” we could overcome avoidance or reactivity. But this belief oversimplifies a deeply complex system.

Our emotional filters, rooted in unconscious feedback loops between the brain and body, aren’t just habits—they're survival responses.

When that discomfort rises—when you find yourself deflecting, rationalizing, or shutting down—pause and ask:

“What am I protecting myself from right now? And is that protection still serving me?”

This question gently interrupts the automatic loop. It creates space to shift from unconscious reaction to conscious response—inviting curiosity over control, awareness over avoidance.

Growth begins when we stop blaming ourselves for our resistance—and start understanding it.

Limiting beliefs often emerge not from laziness or stubbornness, but from an inner system trying to keep us safe. The work isn’t to fight that system—it’s to learn how to work with it.

These processes, while protective in nature, often inhibit the very self-integration and emotional clarity that lead to adaptive behavioral change.

The Anterior Cingular Cortex and Cognitive Dissonance

In 1999, American neuroscientist John Allman and colleagues at the California Institute of Technology first published a report on von Economo neurons found in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of hominids but not any other species. Neuronal volumes of ACC von Economo neurons were larger in humans and bonobos than the von Economo neurons of the chimpanzee, gorilla and orangutan.

Allman and his colleagues have delved beyond the level of brain infrastructure to investigate how von Economo neurons function at the superstructural level, focusing on their role as "air traffic controllers for emotions ... at the core of the human social emotion circuitry (social mimesis) including a moral sense".

Allman's team proposes that von Economo neurons help channel neural signals from deep within the cortex to relatively distant parts of the brain.

Meta-cognitive Dissonance and Emotional Regulation

Specifically, Allman's team found signals from the ACC are received in Brodmann's area 10, in the frontal polar cortex, where regulation of cognitive dissonance (disambiguation between alternatives) is thought to occur(narrative authoring).

BA10 is the largest cytoarchitectonic area in the human brain. It has been described as "one of the least well understood regions of the human brain". Present research suggests that it is involved in strategic processes in memory recall and various executive functions. During human evolution, the functions in this area resulted in its expansion relative to the rest of the brain.

According to Allman, this neural relay appears to convey motivation to act (affective forecasting) and concerns the recognition of error. Self-control – and avoidance of error – is thus facilitated by the executive gatekeeping function of the ACC, as it regulates the interference patterns of neural signals between these two brain regions.

In humans, intense emotion activates the anterior cingulate cortex, as it relays neural signals transmitted from the amygdala (a primary processing center for emotions) to the frontal cortex, perhaps by functioning as a sort of lens (filter) to focus the complex texture of neural signal interference patterns.

The ACC is also active during demanding tasks requiring judgement and discrimination (discernment; e.g., affective forecasting)and when errors (indiscriminate) are detected by an individual.

During difficult tasks, or when experiencing intense love, anger, or lust, activation of the ACC increases. In brain imaging studies, the ACC has specifically been found to be active when mothers hear infants cry, underscoring its role in affording a heightened degree of social sensitivity.

The ACC is a relatively ancient cortical region and is involved with many autonomic functions, including motor and digestive functions, while also playing a role in the regulation of blood pressure and heart rate. Significant olfactory and gustatory capabilities of the ACC and fronto-insular cortex appear to have been usurped, during recent evolution, to serve enhanced roles related to higher meta-cognition – ranging from planning and self-awareness to role-playing and deception (e.g., confabulation, denial, or dissonance).

The diminished olfactory function of humans, compared with other primates, may be related to the fact that von Economo neurons located at crucial neural network hubs have only two dendrites rather than many, resulting in reduced neurological integration.

Biochemical Energy and Metaphorical “Frequency” Analogies

Von Economo neurons (VENs), also known as spindle neurons, are a rare and specialized type of neuron found predominantly in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and frontoinsular cortex (FI) — both regions strongly associated with emotional awareness, decision-making, empathy, and social cognition (judgement, discrimination, discernment).

While the energetic "frequency" of a neuron isn't often described in terms like those used in metaphysics (quantum physics) or energetics (e.g., Hz as in brainwave frequencies), neurons operate through electrochemical signaling that results in distinct firing patterns and oscillatory activity that can be correlated with measurable frequency ranges, (rather than a targeted ‘singular’ frequency or oscillation) especially when part of broader cortical networks, and superstructures-human behaviorist is complex, dynamic, and emergent.

⚡️ Common Frequency Ranges (Neural Oscillatory Context)

While VENs themselves haven't been exhaustively isolated in electrophysiological frequency studies due to their rarity and complexity, the regions they dominate — ACC and FI — exhibit characteristic frequency bands, which likely correspond to VEN activity indirectly:

So, while not exclusive to VENs, their participation in theta and low gamma rhythms likely supports their function in rapid, high-stakes decision-making, error detection, and emotional appraisal — especially under emotionally salient or socially demanding conditions.

Rather than relying solely on the higher oscillating frequency ranges such as Alpha phase interception—illustrating dynamic, emergent states within the superstructural systems.

🧠 How VENs Influence Emotional Regulation

VENs are thought to serve as rapid-conduction “switch” neurons in large-brained social mammals. Their structure — long axons with minimal dendritic branching (neural imprinting)— allows fast transmission across long distances, linking deep emotional centers with higher-order cortical decision-making.

Influence on emotional regulation:

**Integration across systems: VENs link the limbic system (emotion) with cognitive control centers, helping regulate emotional responses in real time (presence, recency bias).

Fast contextual shifting: Their rapid conduction may allow for quick switching between sympathetic (arousal) and parasympathetic (calming) responses, modulating stress and anxiety.

• I.e.; Thinking, Fast and Slow: Daniel Kahneman

Somatic and interoceptive processing: VENs participate in mapping interactive superstructures of bodily sensations (interoception) to emotional meaning — important for emotional self-awareness.

🔄 Interaction with Embodied Systems and Frequency Variance

The reference to "somatically embodied systems" and "frequency variance" can be interpreted in terms of neurophysiological entrainment, where different systems of the body resonate or synchronize with neural oscillations, influencing emotional and behavioral outcomes.

Possible VEN-mediated mechanisms for somatic-emotional interaction:

Heart–brain coherence: The ACC is tied to heart rate variability (HRV) via the vagus nerve. VENs might help transmit emotional salience to autonomic control hubs, modulating HRV — a biomarker for emotional regulation.

Frequency reflection: HRV often reflects 0.1 Hz oscillations (linked to parasympathetic vagal tone), which may be modulated by emotional states carried via VEN pathways.

Interoceptive accuracy: Through the insula, VENs help track internal body signals, which are crucial for emotional awareness. Variability in these signals (gut, breath, tension) influences ‘frequency’ (relative context) and tone of autonomic rhythms, like respiratory sinus arrhythmia (heart rate variable, heart rate coherence).

Salience Network Activation: VENs help drive the salience network (conscious presence), which switches between internal and external focus (Default Mode vs. Central Executive networks).

The MANY frequencies coordination across these networks involves:

• Theta and gamma rhythms for error detection, emotional arousal.
• Alpha suppression during heightened sensory or affective awareness. (Affective forecasting).

>>Somatic entrainment and behavioral response: Shifts in these oscillations affect downstream bodily systems — muscle tone (vagal toning, fascia), breath pacing, voice modulation — thereby impacting behavioral expression of emotion.

So, while not exclusive to VENs, their participation in theta and low gamma rhythms likely supports their function in rapid, high-stakes decision-making, error detection, and emotional appraisal — especially under emotionally salient or socially demanding conditions.

Final Analogy: VENs as Emotional Synchronizers

Think of von Economo neurons as conductor neurons in an orchestra where emotion, cognition, and bodily sensation are the sections. They help maintain tempo across the orchestra, ensuring the instruments (organs, behaviors, thoughts) stay harmonized — adapting rhythm and tone dynamically to fit the emotional "music" of the moment.

If you're integrating this into your research on subconscious patterning or podcast content, I can help map out how VENs relate to emotional processing loops and trauma-informed states.

Below is an integrated synthesis connecting von Economo neuron–mediated frequency dynamics with the broader tapestry of cognitive dissonance, emotional activation, ego and emotional filters, confabulation, and obfuscation—as strategies to avoid or deflect existential discomfort—up through the full somatic feedback loops.

1. Neural Basis: From Signal to Salience

Afferent Input & Neural Imprinting

Sensory → Insula/ACC: Interoceptive signals (heart rate, gut tension, breath) flow via small‐diameter (C-fiber) afferents into the nucleus of the solitary tract, thalamus, then to the insula and ACC.

Imprinting: Repeated pairing of internal states (e.g., rapid heart rate + social threat) leads to long-term synaptic changes (LTP/LTD) in these regions, forming the substrate for fast, automatic (default neural programming) emotional responses(triggered reactivity).

von Economo Neurons as Fast-Track Switches

Rapid Conduction: VENs’ long axons link deep limbic hubs (amygdala, hypothalamus) with prefrontal nodes (medial PFC), supporting sub-100 ms integration.

Oscillatory Role: Their engagement in theta (4–8 Hz) and gamma (30–80 Hz) bands orchestrates quick toggling between bottom-up emotional salience and top-down regulation.

Efferent Cascade

ACC → Hypothalamus: Upon conflict detection (e.g., cognitive dissonance), ACC outputs trigger HPA activation via CRH release from the paraventricular nucleus.

Autonomic Pathways: Concurrently, ACC/VEN projections modulate dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus and nucleus ambiguus to adjust parasympathetic tone.

2. Filters, Dissonance, and Defensive Strategies

Ego & Emotional Filters

Perceptual Gatekeeping: Top-down PFC networks apply schema-based filters, biasing afferent data toward consonant interpretations.

Emotional Filters: The insula flags “unsafe” interoceptive patterns; PFC either amplifies (via bias) or dampens these signals.

Cognitive Dissonance Loop

Mismatch Detection: A conflict between belief and behavior activates ACC theta bursting—a signal of error or discomfort.

Resolution Pathways:

Adaptive: Engage ventral medial PFC to reappraise and reduce conflict.

Defensive: Meta-cognitive filters; If capacity is overwhelmed, the system recruits confabulation (PFC-mediated story-making) or obfuscation (dampening insula input) to restore ‘subjective’ consistency.

Confabulation & Obfuscation

Neural Basis: Excessive ACC theta without sufficient gamma coupling to prefrontal “executive” nodes favors the creation of plausibly coherent—but inaccurate—narratives.

Outcome: By deflecting visceral discomfort, these narratives suppress the ascending distress signal, preventing full HPA engagement.

3. Neuroendocrine Feedback: The HPA and Beyond

HPA Axis Activation

CRH → ACTH → Cortisol: Timely cortisol release mobilizes energy but also feeds back to hippocampus, PFC, and hypothalamus to down-regulate the stress response.

Chronic Imprint: Repeated HPA spikes shift receptor densities in ACC/insula, strengthening avoidance circuits.

Autonomic Ladder & Vagal Tones

Ventral Vagal (Social Engagement)

Optimal: Balanced gamma-coupled regulation from ACC fosters ventral vagal nucleus ambiguus activation, high RSA, calm social connection.

Sympathetic Mobilization

Shift: Dominant amygdala-hypothalamus drive pushes onto sympathetic chain, increasing heart rate and cortisol.

Dorsal Vagal (Shutdown)

Trigger: If conflict becomes intolerable (prolonged ACC theta), dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus engages, leading to “freeze” states, collapse of RSA, and dissociation.

Common Variables for Central Vagal Activation

Mindful Interoception: Slow, diaphragmatic breathing (≈6 breaths/min; ~0.1 Hz) entrains ventral vagal circuits.

Gamma-Theta Coupling: Practices that boost prefrontal gamma (e.g., focused attention) coupled with ACC theta reduce limbic overdrive.

Safe Social Cues: Oxytocin release via adaptive social interaction enhances nucleus ambiguus excitability.

4. Full Somatic Arc: From Perception to Expression

flowchart LR

A[Sensory/Afferent Input] -->|C-fibers| B[Insula/ACC (intero)]

B -->|VENs Theta/Gamma| C[PFC Reappraisal or Defense]

C -->|Top-down Filter| B

C --> D[Hypothalamus → HPA]

D --> E[Adrenal Cortisol]

E -->|Feedback| H[Hippocampus/PFC]

C --> F[Autonomic Output]

F --> G[Vagal Tone or Sympathetic Drive]

G --> H[Somatic Expression (HRV, muscle tone)]

H --> A

Loop Initiation: Afferent interoception flags a mismatch (cognitive dissonance).

Central Processing: VEN-mediated oscillations determine whether the brain reappraises adaptively or deflects via confabulation.

Endocrine/Autonomic Engagement: The chosen path cascades through HPA or autonomic branches, shaping cortisol and vagal outputs.

Somatic Feedback: Body state (heart rhythm, muscle tension) flows back into the interoceptive map, reinforcing either resilience or avoidance patterns.

▶️ Practical Take-Away

By understanding how VEN-driven frequencies gate the tug-of-war between honest self-appraisal and defensive story-making, therapists can:

1. Target Theta–Gamma Balancing: Use biofeedback or mindfulness to strengthen PFC coupling/decoupling(emotional decoupling/depersonalization narrative therapy)
2. Optimize Vagal Activation: Teach breathing at ~0.1 Hz to shift onto the ventral vagal “safe” branch.
3. Disrupt Maladaptive Imprinting: Introduce new interoceptive experiences (e.g., movement, social connection) to rewire ACC/insula circuits.

This multi-layered view reveals how our brains, bodies, and stories collaborate—sometimes to protect us, sometimes to trap us in patterns of recalcitrance—and offers clear neurobiological levers for promoting genuine emotional regulation.

To expand your current inquiry, it’s essential to challenge the oversimplified metaphor that neural and somatic processes—especially those involving von Economo neurons (VENs), emotional regulation, and cognitive dissonance—can be reduced to a singular or even stable "energetic frequency."

❌ The Myth of a Singular ‘Frequency’

While electrical oscillations (e.g., theta, gamma bands) certainly play a coordinating role in neural communication, this lens falls short when considering the multidimensional nature of brain-body interaction:

VENs don’t operate on a single frequency; rather, they modulate multiple frequency domains depending on contextual demands.

Emotional regulation involves dynamic coupling (joining of correlating sub-systems) between neural populations, with state-dependent shifts in frequency, amplitude, and phase—not a consistent HUM of a sole frequency of oscillation.

These oscillations serve as timing mechanisms—but they are only one layer of the interaction.

🔁 Neurobiological Interactions Beyond Electrophysiology

1. Biochemical Signaling Is Not ‘Frequency-Based’

Many of the core emotional processes are biochemical, not electrical in nature:

Neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, GABA) and neuropeptides (oxytocin, CRH) influence receptor binding, second-messenger cascades, and gene expression(epigenetic).

These operate in chemical gradients, not oscillatory timing(hz frequency).

VENs themselves are thought to have unique receptor profiles (e.g., rich in serotonin 2b and dopamine D3) which mediate nuanced biopsychosocial responses through ligand-receptor interactions, not frequency modulation.

2. Endocrine Integration

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and endocrine signaling are temporally asynchronous and hormone-driven, not electrical.

For example: Cortisol release takes minutes to hours and has effects that unfold over long biological windows.

These slow biochemical feedback loops fundamentally shape neural plasticity, arousal thresholds, and stress responsiveness—far beyond what frequency-based metaphors can explain.

3. Autonomic Nervous System Complexity

The autonomic ladder (per Porges) shows that:

Vagal tone is modulated via neurochemical and baroreceptor input as well as cortical inhibition of the vagal brake—not simply electrical signals.

The dorsal vagal complex, associated with shutdown/freeze states, is a primitive survival system influenced by metabolite status, visceral inflammation, and trauma history—not just neural “activation levels.”

Additionally, our implicit psychological and biological ‘data’ is stored concurrently throughout our live span—with new neural imprinting occurring along-side previous occurring data. Hence we reintegrate old data with a new framing, and create additional data via neural plasticity. The ‘releasing’ is a metaphorical analogy.

🌐 Integrated Feedback Systems: Layered and Emergent

Each feedback system interacts in kind, meaning:

These are not interchangeable modalities—they represent qualitatively different signaling languages across our embodied self-regulatory architecture.

🧠 Practical Implications: Toward a Multimodal Framework

Regulation ≠ Tuning a Frequency

Emotional self-regulation is not achieved by matching a “right” brainwave, but rather by facilitating coherence and flexibility across systems.

Complexity Requires Integration, Not Reduction

No single level of analysis—be it electrical, hormonal, or behavioral—can explain emergent states like avoidance, recalcitrance, or dissonance.

1. Therapeutic Levers: Exist Across Modalities
2. Bioelectrical: EEG neurofeedback for cortical inhibition
3. Biochemical: SSRI or peptide-based modulation
4. Somatic: Breathwork, HRV training
5. Narrative: Cognitive restructuring or parts work to re-integrate fragmented self-states

🔄 Returning to Recalcitrance and Emotional Avoidance

• The emergence of defensive confabulation, suppression, or obfuscation arises from an interplay:

1. Insufficient top-down coherence (disrupted PFC-ACC coupling)
2. Overwhelmed subcortical input (limbic overactivation from unresolved trauma)
3. Poor vagal tone (leading to freeze or fawn responses)
4. Biochemical overload (chronic cortisol, inflammatory cytokines)

None of this can be simplified to a single “stuck frequency.” Rather, it’s a meta-systemic breakdown in cross-modal regulation—a loss of synchrony, differentiation, and signal clarity.

Absolutely—awareness often begins once we name these patterns. Language gives shape to what was once implicit, allowing us to observe resistance rather than be ruled by it.

Still, many people need a significant emotional or relational disruption to fully recognize their patterns.

Healing unfolds uniquely for each person, but the top three factors in uncovering these dynamics are:

1) creating safe, regulated spaces for reflection,

2) developing interoceptive awareness of the body’s signals, and

3) gently confronting cognitive dissonance through honest, compassionate inquiry.

Reintegration is a process—and it happens at the pace our nervous system can safely allow.