This document defines key terms related to brain circuitry and attachment styles. It discusses action programs, emotions, feelings, homeostatic versus allostatic feelings, secure versus insecure attachment styles. It also outlines the roles of the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, basal ganglia, and amygdala. Finally, it defines the brain state pattern for reconsolidating allostatic circuits, introduces the Cycle Tool for neuroplasticity, and discusses Survival Circuit Technology.

1. Circuitry-related Definitions
Laurel Mellin, PhD
Associate Clinical Professor of Family and
Community Medicine, UCSF

2. Circuitry-related Definitions
Action program
A set of innate physiological actions triggered by changes
in the internal or external environments and aimed at
maintaining or restoring homeostatic balance.
Emotion
Sub-cortical: A bodily experience of a need in preparation
for the execution of an action program.
Feeling
Cortical: Introspectively labeled subjective state which is a
mental experience that is modified by brain states.

3. Circuitry-related Definitions
Homeostatic Feelings
Feelings that accompany brain states 1 – 3, which promote
accurate identification of needs and adaptive corrective
responses.
Allostatic Feelings
Feelings that accompany brain states 4 - 5, which promote
inaccurate identification of needs and maladaptive
corrective responses.
Examples: Anger vs. hostility, sadness vs. depression, fear
vs. panic, guilt vs. shame.

4. Circuitry-related Definitions
Secure Attachment Style
Dominance of homeostatic circuits, associated with
resilience and associated with promoting emotional
evolution, reward center regulation and eudonic rewards.
Insecure Attachment Style
Dominance of allostatic circuits, associated with
failure of self-regulation, opposing emotional evolution,
reward center dysregulation and hedonic rewards.
Acquired Secure Attachment Style
Secure attachment style acquired after age three through
adaptive neuroplasticity.

5. Circuitry-related Definitions
Prefrontal Cortex
Consciousness, “the overseer” of the emotional brain.
Hippocampus
Contextual memory including expectations that amplify or
quiet the allostatic response.
Basal Ganglia
Procedural memory or “habit center” including emotion
regulation and allostatic circuit reconsolidation.
Amygdala
Center of fear memories and storage of allostatic circuits
(fear conditioning).

6. Circuitry-related Definitions
Brain State Pattern for Reconsolildation: 4 – 3 – 1
Brain state sequence associated with effective
reconsolidation of alloststatic circuits:
• Brain State 4 – Unlock Allostatic Circuit
• Brain State 3 – Switch Circuit
• Brain State 1 – Lock in Homeostatic Circuit
The Cycle Tool
Tool used for self-directed neuroplasticity and
reconsolidation of allostatic circuits.
Survival Circuit Technology
A 10-step process involving use of the Cycle Tool and
related techniques to reconsolidate Survival Circuits.