PROFESSIONAL TRAINING ⌖ LIVE LECTURE SERIES
The Florentine Lectures in
Autonomic Physiology
A Renaissance in understanding the Living ANS
A series of expert-level trainings at the living edge of our research, on Zoom monthly. Available as a series of Saturday lectures with a culminating synthesis session, or as individual lectures.
First lecture October 10. Every registrant receives access to the live lecture and its recording.
NEW TO AUTONOMICS?
A single pre-series session on September 19 requires no prior training.
Background on the Florentine Lectures
Five Sessions. One pass.
Saturday, October 10, 2026
From First Principles: Category Errors in the Foundations of Neuroscience
Identifies four compounding sources of structural error in the field's neuroanatomical maps and makes the case for building from different epistemic ground. In this training we will look at the history of necrotic anatomy all the way back to Galen of Pergamon, the Roman Anatomist in the 1st century AD. We will explore the four compounding sources of structural error that have set modern autonomic physiology on a foundation that must be restructured from first principles.
DONE AND DUSTED: Dismantles top-down predictive coding models (e.g., Kotler et al.), dismantles HRV signal as notable/primary autonomic signal (Grossman et al., Porges), dismantles much modern taxonomy including the Sympathetic Nervous System.
Saturday November 7, 2026
In which we synthesize the four previous trainings (for series subscribers only).
Completely Redrawing the Neuroanatomical Maps
Cooperative Coordination and Hierarchical Decoupling
Explains the 3-variable construction of autonomic state from neuroception (moment-to-moment embodied neural detection of safety, danger, and lifethreat) – how autonomic neurology coordinates in health-creating states and decouples in patterned ways under danger and lifethreat, and is able to explain this though energy conservation and differentiating neurology from neurochemistry without needing recourse to phylogenetic explanations that are not provable in living bodies.
DONE AND DUSTED: Dismantles the oxytocin paradox, dismantles notion of ventral vagal dominance, obviates Jacksonian Dissolution.
Breaking the Stasis in the Polyvagal Controversy
Polyvagal Theory has profoundly influenced clinical practice, but recent publications (Grossman et al., 2026) have challenged the theories foundations, leaving many clinicians unsettled. We review the major tenets of the critique, places we think PVT still holds water, explain why we think the debate is UNRESOLVABLE as currently articulated, and how it could be reformulated to answer the question through an experimentally testable hypothesis.
DONE AND DUSTED: The Porges/Grossman debate as currently prosecuted in the literature and court of public opinion.
Saturday January 30, 2027
Based on category errors identified in the previous lecture, we will deep dive into what is required to adjust the neuro-anatomical architecture, boundaries, and density parameters of the primary autonomic systems. We will closely examine neurogenesis and the source-to-target principal, neuro-embryology through cross-system connectivity in utero, postnatal myelination & the 27-month window, and and fine fiber resolution. From these four layers of boundary revision we will remap the primary autonomic systems.
DONE AND DUSTED: Dismantles Polyvagal Theory’s Autonomic Ladder, expands the Social Engagement system, reorients and expands the dorsal vagal system, reconstructs the neurology of the sympathetic nervous system
Saturday December 5, 2026
Saturday January 9, 2027
Synthesis Session - Architecture and Dynamics of the Living Autonomic Nervous System
Individual Lecture Ticket ⇢
FORMAT
What to expect.
Content assumes working fluency with the Autonomics model. It is not adapted for newcomers.
Each session runs three hours, live on Zoom.
Every registrant — season pass or single session — receives the recording.
The February synthesis session is a closing seminar for lectures series pass holders: a consolidation of the season's threads, not a repeat of earlier content.
All four seminars, plus the February synthesis session — available only to season pass holders. Live attendance and a recording of each session.
PROGRAM STRUCTURE
Get your lecture series pass.
FULL SERIES ⌖ RECOMMENDED
One lecture (subject to availability). Live presentation and access to the recording.
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS ⌖ ONE-AT-A-TIME
TESTIMONIALS
“Gabriel is my favorite outlaw neuroscientist.”
-Rick Hanson, PhD, NYT-bestselling author and neuroplasticity expert
