Integration Protocol

This protocol manages the critical period after a descent to ensure the transformation lasts. It is based on the neuroscience of the Reconsolidation Window.

The 5-Hour Window

For ~5 hours after a deep emotional shift (Mismatch Experience), the neural pathway is labile (unlocked). What happens now determines if it re-writes or reverts.

Rules of the Window

1. NO Triggers: Do not return immediately to the environment that created the wound.
2. NO Dissipation: Avoid “talking it away” (excessive cognitive processing) or numbing (alcohol/screens).
3. STAY in the State: Keep the “new feeling” alive in the body.

The Integration Checklist

1. Somatic Anchoring

• “Where does this new capacity live in your body?”
• Create a physical gesture or posture that evokes it.

2. Naming the Gift

• Give the new synthesis a name (e.g., “The Quiet Strength,” “The Open Hand”).

3. Behavioral Commitment

• Identify ONE small, concrete action to take within 24 hours that proves the change is real.
• Criterion: It must be something the “Old Self” would not have done.

4. Environmental Design

• What needs to change in the environment to support this new self? (e.g., removing triggers, setting a reminder).