In this episode of Wired for Connection, I sit down with Seth Porges, coauthor of “Our Polyvagal World” and documentary filmmaker behind “Class Action Park” (HBO Max) and “How to Rob a Bank” (Netflix). We explore how polyvagal theory is not just a neuroscience model, but a worldview that explains why our nervous systems feel so overloaded in an age of social media, 24/7 news and constant outrage.

Seth breaks down what polyvagal theory actually means in simple language: why feeling safe is crucial to a good life, how our nervous system reads cues of safety and threat, and how anger and division are often just dysregulated states, not “bad people.” We talk about the autonomic echo chamber, how algorithms are literally trained on your stress response, and why doomscrolling keeps you stuck in fight or flight.

We also go inside his work as a documentary filmmaker. Seth shares how he builds safety and trust on set, how he protects participants from exploitation, and why real emotion on camera is a powerful form of co regulation. We talk about creative work and nervous system health, why fun and play are regulation, and why therapists, coaches and parents must protect their own capacity to feel safe if they want to offer safety to others.

If you are a therapist, coach, creative or anyone who feels fried by the modern world, this conversation will help you see your anger, anxiety and exhaustion through a polyvagal lens and give you practical ways to protect your nervous system and the people you care about.

You’ll learn about:
• Polyvagal theory in plain English
• The autonomic echo chamber and media
• How social media and news exploit your threat response
• Co regulation, safety and empathy in an angry culture
• How documentary storytelling can be trauma informed
• Why fun, play and connection are regulation, not luxuries
• Nervous system self care for therapists, coaches and creatives

CONNECT WITH Polyvagal Institute:
WEB: www.polyvagalinstitute.org
Instagram: @polyvagalinstitute
LinkedIn: polyvagal-institute
Email: community@polyvagal.org

CONNECT WITH Travis Goodman:
Instagram: Travis.Goodman.LMFT