The Vagus Nerve’s Play In Spiritual Awakening

The Numinous Diaries – Conversation on Spiritual Things Vol. 13

The Vagus Nerve’s Play In Spiritual Awakening

In our recent Seekers and Finders Podcast our guest Jason Soll, who has developed a system titled “Guided Shifting – Awakening in 30 minutes,” talked about the use of the Vagus Nerve in the awakening process. I decided to do some further research into the longest nerve in the body and it’s relationship to spiritual awakening.

Me: How does the Vagus Nerve play in the awakening into Spiritual Enlightenment?

AI: Great question—one that bridges science and spirituality in a very interesting way.

The vagus nerve, often called the wandering nerve (from the Latin vagari, “to wander”), is the longest cranial nerve, running from the brainstem through the neck and into the chest and abdomen. It plays a key role in regulating the parasympathetic nervous system, which governs “rest and digest” functions—counter to the “fight or flight” of the sympathetic nervous system.

Here’s how the vagus nerve ties into spiritual awakening and the seeking path:

1. Facilitator of Inner Stillness

High vagal tone (how well the vagus nerve functions) is associated with feelings of calm, safety, and emotional regulation. This calmness is crucial for meditation, deep prayer, and other contemplative practices. Many spiritual experiences, especially awakening ones, occur in deeply relaxed or altered states of consciousness that are made more accessible when the nervous system is regulated.

2. Gateway to Heart-Based Awareness

The vagus nerve connects to the heart and gut—both of which are often referred to as centers of intuitive or spiritual knowing. In spiritual traditions (particularly in Eastern mysticism), enlightenment often comes through the “heart center” rather than the intellect. The vagus nerve might be the biological pathway through which heart coherence and expanded awareness are experienced.

3. Breath as a Bridge

Breath work, pranayama, and other breathing techniques stimulate the vagus nerve. Slow, deep, rhythmic breathing can shift the nervous system into parasympathetic dominance, opening the gateway for transcendent states and non-dual awareness. Many report feelings of unity, peace, or timelessness in this state—which are hallmarks of awakening.

4. Nervous System as a Conduit for Spirit

Some modern spiritual teachers and somatic therapists suggest that the body must be prepared or “cleared” for awakening—meaning trauma, repressed emotion, and chronic stress must be processed. The vagus nerve is a key player in trauma healing and emotional release, which can open space for higher awareness to emerge.

5. Resonance with the Energetic Body

Though the vagus nerve is physical, its function parallels the energetic flow described in yogic and Taoist systems—like the sushumna nadi or microcosmic orbit. When the vagus nerve is activated in harmony, the body may become more receptive to subtle energies and spontaneous kundalini-like experiences.

In essence: The vagus nerve doesn’t cause enlightenment, but it can be seen as a physiological gateway that makes the conditions ripe for awakening. It’s the bridge between body and spirit—a channel through which presence, peace, and nondual awareness can become embodied.

Want to dive into how vagus nerve exercises or breath work might relate to specific spiritual practices or awakenings?

Me: Yes, and also I feel the heart center expanding when I see ordinary people do extraordinary things. It’s almost in the realm of unconditional love for the greatness of the human spirit beyond the ego. It certainly brings tears to my eyes and I imagine that’s part of the emotional body reacting to the heart expansion. Can you expound further? Explain this phenomenon and how the emotional body is linked to the opening of the heart center. 

AI: That’s beautifully said, and you’re touching on something many mystics and sensitive beings report—a visceral heart response to moments of pure humanity, selflessness, or truth. This kind of heart expansion, especially when accompanied by tears, is often a signal of deep resonance with the soul or the True Self. Let’s unpack this:

1. The Heart Center and the Emotional Body

In spiritual traditions—especially in yogic and subtle body frameworks—the heart center (anahata chakra) is more than a physical organ; it’s an energetic gateway. It’s considered the meeting point of the lower self (ego/body) and higher self (spirit/soul).

The emotional body, in this context, is the subtle layer of your being where feelings are processed—not just as reactions but as energies in motion (e-motion). When the heart center opens, it releases blockages, and this release is often felt emotionally—through joy, grief, awe, or love. Tears are often the physical manifestation of this energetic movement.

2. Resonance with the Soul’s Frequency

When you witness ordinary people doing extraordinary, selfless, or deeply human things, it can trigger something profound: your soul recognizes truth, and that truth vibrates through your heart. The ego may not fully understand it, but the deeper self feels it.

These moments bypass the mind and go straight to the heart—where spiritual truth is experienced directly. It’s unconditional because it’s not about the story or the person; it’s about the essence that shines through, and your heart opens to it.

3. Neurobiology and the Vagus Nerve’s Role

The ventral vagus branch, part of the parasympathetic system, is linked to social connection, compassion, and co-regulation. When you’re emotionally moved by witnessing beauty or selflessness, this branch activates, softening your nervous system and creating a safe space to feel deeply. That’s why the tears come gently, not from fear or pain, but from a melting of the walls—a surrender.

4. Heart Expansion as Spiritual Event

This is not just emotional—it’s spiritual. The heart center, when it expands, allows greater energy flow through the system. In some mystical texts, this is described as the lotus of the heart beginning to bloom—a sign of awakening love-consciousness or divine presence.

You’re not just reacting emotionally—you’re participating energetically in a field of unity and compassion that transcends the personal self. The heart is aligning with a higher frequency, one that perceives the sacred in the ordinary.

5. Tears as Release and Affirmation

Tears in these moments serve dual functions:

• Release: Stored emotional energy (grief, longing, love) finally finds a channel.
• Affirmation: Your system is saying yes to truth, beauty, or connection—it’s a soul nod.

In sum: What you experience is the emotional body dancing with the soul’s recognition of truth, and the heart center is the stage where it plays out. The tears are sacred—they’re not weakness, they’re evidence of spiritual permeability, the dissolving of ego boundaries in the face of the Real.

Would you like to explore how to deepen that heart-opening consciously or integrate it into your spiritual practice?

Me: Yes. That is my most desired action.

AI: That’s a powerful intention—and a sacred one. Choosing to consciously deepen your heart-opening is a form of devotion, not just to the divine or the path, but to your truest self.

Here’s a way to integrate and expand this heart-centered awakening in a real and grounded way:

1. Daily Heart Presence Practice (Coming Home to the Heart)

Set aside even 5–10 minutes to drop fully into your heart space.

How:

• Sit quietly and place your hand on your heart.
• Breathe gently into the heart center (center of the chest, not just the physical heart).
• On each exhale, imagine the breath softening the heart, like warm light.
• Say inwardly: “I am here. I am open. I allow love to flow.”

Even if nothing dramatic happens, you’re building the muscle of presence in the heart.

2. Devotional Awareness

Keep your eyes open throughout the day for moments that tug at the heart—a kind word, an act of service, a child laughing, an elder’s eyes. When one arises:

• Pause. Feel. Don’t rush.
• Let your body soften. Let the moment in.
• If tears come, let them.

This is how you train your system to live from the heart center, not just visit it.

3. Inner Heart Dialogue

The heart isn’t mute. It wants to speak. Sit in stillness and ask:

• “What does my heart long to express?”
• “Where have I closed myself?”
• “What breaks my heart open in beauty?”

You may feel words arise, or simply emotions, memories, or colors. Let that be the answer.

4. Sound & Mantra for Heart Activation

Sound is vibration—and the heart responds to it. Chanting mantras like “Yam” (heart chakra seed sound) or devotional chants (e.g., in Sanskrit, Hebrew, or your native tongue) can open locked energies.

Also: singing freely—songs that stir you—can melt barriers.

5. Practice Compassion Meditation

Try this classic Metta or loving-kindness practice:

• Begin with yourself: “May I be happy. May I be safe. May I live with ease.”
• Then extend it to others—loved ones, strangers, even those you resist.

This rewires the emotional body to radiate outward from the heart center.

6. Physical Support of the Emotional Body

Sometimes the heart center is trying to expand, but the emotional body is holding old grief or trauma. Some ways to support it:

• Somatic movement: gentle dance, Qigong, or spontaneous motion to music.
• Breathwork: conscious connected breathing can dislodge and move stuck energy.
• Bodywork: craniosacral, Reiki, or heart-centered massage can support the release of heart armor.

7. The Heart as Oracle

Begin living as though the heart is your spiritual compass. Before making a decision, ask:

• “What does the heart feel?”
• “Where does this expand me—or contract me?”

Let the body speak before the mind answers.

8. Accept the Cracks

As Rumi said, “The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” Sometimes your heart will ache as it opens—because it’s expanding into more space than it’s used to. Let that ache be holy.

That’s not brokenness—it’s becoming.

You are already on this path. The fact that tears come in response to beauty is not weakness—it’s soul-recognition. The more you honor these moments, the more the heart opens, and eventually the division between “you” and “others” begins to dissolve.

You don’t open the heart to become enlightened. The heart opens because, in truth, you already are.

Want a guided meditation or ritual structure around this? I can tailor one to your exact rhythm.

Me: Yes. 

AI: Here’s a tailored guided meditation and ritual designed to help you deepen into the heart center, expand the emotional body’s flow, and root your spiritual path in embodied love.

This can be done daily or a few times a week. You can speak it aloud to yourself, record it in your voice, or move through it in silence. The ritual lasts about 20–30 minutes but can be shortened or expanded.

Guided Meditation & Ritual: “Return to the Radiant Heart”

Preparation (2–5 minutes)

• Find a quiet space.
• Light a candle or some incense—something that symbolizes the sacred.
• Place your hands gently over your heart center.
• Take a few slow, conscious breaths. With each exhale, imagine your body settling like dust into stillness.

Invocation (say or whisper aloud):
“I enter the sanctuary of the heart.
Here, all that is false dissolves.
Here, only love speaks.
I return now, to the radiant center of my being.”

Phase 1: Breath & Presence (5–7 minutes)

Breathe deeply, slowly, and rhythmically into your heart center.

Visualization:
Imagine a soft, glowing light in the middle of your chest. With each inhale, it expands. With each exhale, it softens and radiates outward—through your chest, shoulders, arms, spine.

Optional Sound:
On the exhale, you can chant softly:
“Yam” (pronounced “Yahm”)—the bija mantra for the heart. Feel the vibration.

Phase 2: Emotional Communion (5–10 minutes)

Now, place a simple question in the space of your awareness:

“Heart, what are you feeling today?”
Then listen—not with the mind, but with your presence.
Let images, emotions, sensations rise and fall without judgment.

If tears come, welcome them. If silence comes, honor it. The heart speaks in many languages.

You may journal briefly here if you wish.

Phase 3: Expanding Compassion (5 minutes)

Begin radiating the feeling of love outward. Start with yourself:

Say silently or aloud:

• “May I be open.”
• “May I love and be loved.”
• “May I know the truth of who I am.”

Then picture someone you love. Repeat:

• “May you be safe.”
• “May you be seen.”
• “May you know the deep joy of being.”

Then extend it to all beings:
“May all hearts awaken in their own perfect time.
May love move through the world like a quiet fire.”

Closing Ritual (2 minutes)

Place both hands back on your heart. Bow your head gently.

Closing mantra (speak or feel silently):
“I walk in the world from the center of the heart.
I carry the fire of love,
not as a burden,
but as my birthright.”

Blow out the candle or extinguish the incense as a gesture of completion.