Resilience is the ability to adaptively overcome stress and adversity while maintaining normal psychological and physical functioning. It is facilitated by genetic, cultural, and individual evolution. On a personal level, 70% of self-regulatory circuits are transmitted from parent to child, and trauma can be intergenerationally transmitted from the last trimester through the first three years as the brain undergoes pruning to become more emotionally plastic into late adulthood through epigenetic effects. Cultural evolution mediated by language allows for faster transmission of survival-promoting behaviors through improved social organization.

1. Resilience
Laurel Mellin, PhD
Associate Clinical Professor of Family and Community Medicine, UCSF

2. Resilience
• Resilience is the capacity and dynamic process of
adaptively overcoming stress and adversity while
maintaining normal psychological and physical
functioning.
• Facilitated by three evolutions: genetic, cultural and
individual (emotional).
• Brain is reward and stress-driven, so resiliency or selfregulatory success requires neuronal stress circuitry to
effectively process stress and access adaptive rewards.
Vaillant, GE (2008) Spiritual Evolution: A Scientific Defense of Faith.

3. Genetic Evolution
• Reptiles evolved into mammals with limbic systems.
• Limbic system favors survival drive for connection.
Huge human neocortex facilitates complex thought.
• Interconnections of neocortex and limbic system =
prosocial thoughts activate limbic reward centers.
• Intense reward activations in limbic regions swamps
stress response.
Homeostatic brain states = eudonic rewards.
Allostatic brain states = hedonic rewards.
Vaillant, GE (2008) Spiritual Evolution: A Scientific Defense of Faith.

4. Cultural Evolution
• Mediated by language.
• Effective cultural transmission of that which promotes
survival.
• Faster, more flexible, than genetic evolution.
• Culture evolved to communicate the survival value of
transcending self-interest.
• Improved communications facilitated larger and more
complex social organizations essential for survival.
Vaillant, GE (2008) Spiritual Evolution: A Scientific Defense of Faith.

5. Personal Evolution
• 70% transmission from parent to child of selfregulatory circuits.
• Intergenerational transmission of trauma.
• Last trimester of pregnancy through first 3
years, passive pruning until late 20s.
• Emotional plasticity or “targeted pruning”
• Epigeneteic effects may include reversible genetic
effects in response to experience.
Vaillant, GE (2008) Spiritual Evolution: A Scientific Defense of Faith.

6. Emotional Evolution
Stage 1. Existence
I do exist.
Stage 2. Essence
I am not bad.
Stage 3. Power
I do have power.
Stage 4. Purpose
I can do good.
Stage 5. Love
I can love.
Stage 6. Desire
I am worthy.
Stage 7. Wisdom
I am joy.

7. Emotional Brain Medicine
• All organisms have survival drives.
• Emotional memory evolved to improve survival.
• Emotional memories can be adaptive or maladaptive.
• Adaptive plasticity of emotional memories improves
health and well-being.