Limbic Looping & Neuro ACT Matrix Assessment

Let's Get Started

Welcome to Your Assessment

This assessment takes about 10-15 minutes. Your responses will generate a personalized report with VR session prompts designed for your specific patterns.

Your Name

Email Address

🔒 Your Privacy

Your responses are confidential and used only to generate your personalized report. We do not share your information with third parties.

Section 1 — Inner Experience

Uncomfortable Thoughts & Beliefs

The ACT Matrix begins with identifying your internal experiences—the thoughts and beliefs that create discomfort and often drive reactive behaviors.

🧠 Neuroscience Note

Your Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) monitors for discrepancies between expected and actual outcomes. When it detects a mismatch (prediction error), it triggers an emotional signal that feels uncomfortable.

What emotions keep cycling through your system?

Anxiety / Worry Frustration / Anger Sadness / Grief Shame / Guilt Loneliness / Isolation Overwhelm / Exhaustion Resentment / Bitterness Fear / Dread

Rate the intensity of your current internal discomfort (1-10)

Barely noticeable Moderate Overwhelming

5

Section 2 — Dopamine-Driven Behaviors

Moving Away from Discomfort

When discomfort arises, the brain seeks relief through dopamine-driven behaviors. These "away moves" provide temporary escape but often take us further from what truly matters.

🧪 The Dopamine Anticipation Cycle

Your Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) synthesizes dopamine in anticipation of relief—before you even get it. When the expected relief doesn't fully materialize, the Ventral Pallidum adjusts expectations and rationalizes to salvage partial reward.

⚡ The 90-Second Reality

Research shows dopamine release in the Nucleus Accumbens creates a brief sense of safety—approximately 90 seconds. The brain signals: "Whatever produced this dopamine will keep you alive for the next 90 seconds." Then the dopamine degrades, replaced by HPA axis activation (stress hormones), and the cycle restarts.

Section 3 — Your Limbic Loop

Mapping Your Personal Cycle

Now let's trace how a specific trigger moves through your nervous system. Think of a recent situation where you got "hooked" by discomfort.

1

Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) & Default Mode Network

The Trigger & Story

Detects mismatch between expectation and reality; generates a narrative to explain the discomfort

2

Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)

The Plan & Anticipation

Creates an action/expectation to escape discomfort; synthesizes dopamine in anticipation of relief

3

Ventral Pallidum

The Adjustment & Rationalization

When expected relief doesn't fully materialize, processes reward prediction; rationalizes to salvage partial dopamine

4

Nucleus Accumbens

Brief Relief (~90 seconds)

Releases dopamine → triggers glutamate → briefly calms the amygdala with a survival signal

5

Amygdala

The Crash

Dopamine degrades; feels guilt, sadness, or shame over the reactive behavior

6

Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis

Stress Cascade

Releases cortisol, adrenaline, norepinephrine; body goes into defense mode; sensations feed back to brain

Describe a moment when an uncomfortable thought, belief, or feeling came up for you this last week:

What story did your mind create? (ACC narrative)

Section 4 — Values Identification

Your Oxytocin-Based Values

Unlike dopamine (which drives seeking and achievement), oxytocin supports connection, contentment, and being present with what matters.

💙 The Oxytocin Difference

Oxytocin (released during trust, connection, and care) provokes feelings of contentment, calmness, and security. Unlike dopamine's fleeting "hit," oxytocin supports sustained wellbeing through relationship and presence.

Why do these values matter to you?

Section 5 — Two Paths to Wellbeing

Contentment vs. Satisfaction

Understanding the difference between these two states is crucial for breaking the limbic loop.

🎯 Satisfaction (Dopamine)

Comes from performance
Future-focused
Brief, then fades
Drives seeking behavior
"I did it!" feeling

🌿 Contentment (Oxytocin)

Comes from connection
Present-focused
Sustainable, calm
Supports rest & digest
"I am okay" feeling

🔑 The Key Insight

Satisfaction requires conditions to be met. Contentment exists independent of conditions. The goal is not to eliminate satisfaction-seeking but to build a foundation of contentment so your sense of okayness does not depend entirely on achievement or external validation.

How much of your day is spent chasing satisfaction vs. experiencing contentment?

Mostly Contentment Balanced Mostly Chasing

5

Section 6 — Mindful Awareness

Body Sense + Cognitive Awareness

Effective regulation requires awareness of both body signals and mental content.

Where in your body do you typically feel stress?

Chest / Heart area Stomach / Gut Throat / Neck Shoulders / Upper back Head / Face tension Jaw clenching General restlessness Disconnected / Numb

How aware are you of your body sensations throughout the day?

Rarely notice Sometimes Very attuned

5

Section 7 — Toward Moves

Values-Aligned Actions

Now we map your oxytocin-based actions—behaviors that move you toward your values, even when discomfort is present.

What small action could you take THIS WEEK to move toward connection?

What action would express authenticity, even if uncomfortable?

What action would build your self-compassion and freedom of choice?

How confident are you that you can take these actions even when discomfort shows up?

Not confident Somewhat Very confident

5

Your Personal Assessment

Your Neuro ACT Matrix

A personalized map of your nervous system patterns and values-aligned pathways

↖ Away Behaviors

↗ Toward Actions

↙ Inner Hooks

↘ Core Values

🔄 Your Limbic Loop Pattern

⚠️ Watch For These Triggers

🌿 Your Path Forward

📄 Open Your Full Report with VR Session Prompts

🧠 Remember: Capacity Over Pathology

This assessment isn't about fixing what's broken—it's about building capacity. Your nervous system developed these patterns adaptively. Now you're training the flexibility to choose your response.