#vagusnerve: Self-help Discourses That Move Bodies Towards Novel Forms of Biosociality
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: As the largest nerve in the parasympathetic nervous system, the vagus nerve (VN) is in charge of the restorative functions of the body. This nerve tracks the conditions of the internal organs that message it to the brain. This analysis explores the discussion of this organ on social media platforms where the VN is framed as a health enhancement apparatus and the online audiences are invited to practice what is referred to as ‘vagus nerve activation’. By implementing practices of governing health, therapists/influencers tagging #vagusnerve distribute VN-related information to market a workshop or an online course that addresses trauma and focuses on healing nervous system dysfunctions. Following the #vagusnerve hashtag circulating on Instagram and looking at the underlying conceptions of the discourse drawn from the Polyvagal Theory (PVT), I map how the discourse becomes embodied. The materials assembled for analysis exemplify how VN discourses surrounding the nervous system play a role in people’s understanding of their body, generating new types of biosociality. This analysis contributes to the objectives of critical disability studies by looking specifically at how neuronorms are reinforced within the self-help discourse on the vagus nerve and how biological discourse creates social belonging.
Source: Somatechnics
Author: Riina Hannula
Institution: University of Helsinki
Language: English
Topic: Foucault, Power, and Ethics
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4417454183