How does AVWF work?
Musical stimulation of the autonomic nervous system - especially the vagus nerve - improves the regulation between the autonomous and central nervous systems. The embedded impulses are transmitted via the middle ear muscles innervated by the vagus nerve to the cerebrum (= component of the central nervous system) and to the autonomous nervous system.
By the simultaneous pulsing of afferent and efferent nerve fibres of the vagus nerve, the wrong sequence of activation of our nervous system under stress can be corrected and thus the inner balance can be restored. In addition, the brain is constantly given a kind of feeling of security, which can be deduced from the formation of four-Hz frequencies in the EEG, which otherwise only occur in deep sleep, i.e. in a state of deepest relaxation.
In this way, the body can ultimately return to inner homeostasis (reactivation of the ventral vagus complex), thus laying the foundation for an improvement in higher body functions. Stress and its effects The term "stress" goes back to research by Hans Selye. He defines stress "as an unspecific response of the organism to the disturbance of the [inner] balance and as the attempt to restore this balance" (Birbaumer & Schmidt, 1999).
Selye thus postulates for the first time that different stressors cause and distinguish the same three reaction stages on a biological level in all people:
I) Alarm reaction At this stage, the organism perceives the overstimulation/stress. The organism tries to counteract this by mobilising all its forces. This leads to an alarm reaction, which is accompanied by the activation of the sympathetic nervous system.
II) Resistance stage At this stage, the organism tries to adapt to the strain by permanently mobilising resources. This becomes visible, among other things, in an increased resting pulse rate. If the adaptability is exceeded or the organism can no longer provide the energy required to cope with the stress, the third stage occurs.
III) Stage of exhaustion In the exhaustion stage, the capacity of the adaptive forces is lost. It is no longer possible to provide sufficient energy and stress management can no longer be ensured. The organism is overloaded.
The exhaustion phase is accompanied, among other things, by a strongly reduced resting pulse. Especially in chronic stress, the initial alarm reaction is often skipped and the organism is permanently in a state of resistance or, in extreme cases, exhaustion. These stages are to a certain extent equivalent to the predominance of the older systems (sympathetic and dorsal vagus) in the autonomous nervous system.
If the organism constantly achieves maximum performance (constant state of tension and activation), sooner or later this leads to "wear and tear", which can manifest itself in various symptoms, including
Cardiovascular complaints (dizziness, racing heart, breathing difficulties
pain (e.g. headache, neck or back pain)
Sleep disorders Disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (digestive problems, constipation, ...)
Loss of drive
Nervousness and inner restlessness
concentration problems, etc.
Concentration problems arise, among other things, due to the effects of stress on the processing of stimuli. For example, when the older systems predominate in the autonomic nervous system (sympathetic nervous system, dorsal vagus), no or only slower processing of stimuli via the cerebral cortex occurs.
The evaluation of the situation and decision-making by the cerebrum is thus restricted, if not completely prevented, and the body reacts with defensive reflexes or freezes in a frightening reaction. Information from the environment can therefore no longer be processed efficiently and adequately under permanent stress.
As a consequence, even reactions to harmless situations are controlled exclusively by implicit memory. Moreover, while the cerebrum almost ceases its activities, the exact opposite occurs in implicit circuits. Information is no longer pre-filtered, but enters the organism uninterpreted and with a higher "bit rate" than normal. This stimulus satiation constantly searches for ways out and escape or for possibilities for counter-attacks. So if, due to poor regulation in the autonomous nervous system, higher functions function inefficiently, the lower parts gain the upper hand and control.