Psychology Today | 15.04.2026 00:31
There has been a bit of a kerfuffle around polyvagal theory lately. Here’s what happened: a group of 39 researchers—neurophysiologists, evolutionary biologists, and autonomic scientists—published a paper declaring polyvagal theory "untenable." Social media (and some real media outlets) ran with this as confirmation that the whole framework has been "debunked." Before clinicians and clients begin dismantling approaches that are genuinely helping people, it's worth understanding what the critique actually says—and maybe more importantly, what it doesn't.
