Second Biological Law
Normotonia
Normotonia is the organism's baseline state of balanced nervous system activity: the normal day-night rhythm of alternating sympathecotonia and vagotonia over a 24-hour cycle. In normotonia, the organism cycles naturally between stimulation and recovery, with healthy sleep, appetite, and tissue maintenance.
Normotonia represents your biological baseline. We could think of this as the ongoing state of an organism without active conflicts.
It's your normal day-night metabolic rhythm before you have a DHS and it is the state the organism returns to after completing PCL B of a special biological program.
(Normotonia is also disturbed after injury, poisoning, or malnutrition, and is re-established after completing biological programs in addition to special biological programs)
Normotonia is characterized by the natural alternation of the two branches of the autonomic nervous system across a 24-hour cycle.
Biological Day
In normotonia for diurnal organisms (such as humans), sympathecotonia (sympathetic nervous system dominance) begins at approximately 4:00 am and characterizes the biological "day." The organism is alert, active, engaged in hunting and gathering, and less concerned with rest or digestion; however thirst is greater in the day. Peripheral body temperature is lower during biological day.
Biological Night
Vagotonia (parasympathetic nervous system dominance) for diurnal organisms begins at approximately 4:00 pm and characterizes the biological "night." The organism relaxes, digests, repairs, and prepares for rest. Appetite increases, thirst decreases, and peripheral body temperature increases.
In normotonia, hands and feet are warm (from vagotonic dilation of peripheral blood vessels during the evening and night), appetite and digestion function well, sleep is deep and restorative, and the mind is not preoccupied with unresolved conflict content. The organism is fully present and available for experience and looks forward to the adventures of the day.
Normotonia is disrupted by a DHS, which initiates a conflict-active phase ("lasting day") and eventually, with conflictolysis, a healing phase ("lasting night"). PCL B, when complete, re-establishes a new normotonia — one that reflects the biological learning and evolution that has taken place through the SBS. Each completed SBS therefore leaves the organism slightly different, and slightly more adapted, than before.
See also