The Periaqueductal Gray (PAG) - Your Brainstem’s Survival Switch

The Periaqueductal Gray (PAG) – Your Brainstem’s Survival Switch

Anyone who has ever been hit on a point and not gone out or down will often express that they couldn’t do anything or felt “frozen”. This is the reason!

What is the PAG?

The Periaqueductal Gray (PAG) is a small region in the midbrain, surrounding the cerebral aqueduct. It acts as a command center for how your body responds to pain, threat, & danger — it’s part of the primitive brain.

It controls:

• Pain suppression (endogenous opioids)

• Fight, flight, freeze response

• Vocalization & breath changes under threat

• Defensive posture patterns

Why It Matters in Kyusho and Tuite:

1. Pain Gating & Freezing

When you strike or manipulate certain regions (especially GB20, ST9, CV22, or upper cervical structures), signals are sent to the PAG.

It can:

• Shut down voluntary movement

• Cause sudden emotional freezing

• Trigger involuntary collapse or vocalization

This explains why light but accurate touches to vagal nerve hubs or brainstem-adjacent points cause someone to stagger, breathe funny, or even cry — you’re bypassing conscious thought.

2. Revival Ties

The PAG is highly influenced by the vagus nerve & interoception. That’s why revivals using CV17, GB20, or breath regulation work — they tell the PAG “threat is gone, restore balance.”

3. Strategic Application in Tuite

• Combine cervical traction or twist (affecting upper cervical afferents) with pressure near GB20 or CV22 → signals danger to the PAG

• Their body enters shutdown, not from damage — but from the primitive command center trying to keep them alive

Powerful Stuff!…

Understand the Science. Master the Art! 🐼

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