Three things happened in this moment and each one is a sign his nervous system was shifting. If you listen closely, you can actually hear the swallow. 1️⃣ Ear slide: Gliding the ear base activates the auricular branch of the vagus nerve. This sends a signal to the brainstem that the body can down-shift into safety. 2️⃣ The swallow: Swallowing isn’t random. It’s one of the first observable markers of parasympathetic activation—salivary glands turn back on, the throat resets, and the body begins t