Upcoming Seminar
The Biology of Safety
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2026
7:30 PM MST - ONLINE
Safety is a lived, subjective experience that emerges from biological processes, psychological meaning, and social context. This seminar examines how the brain and body determine whether defensive systems can stand down, and why that determination is often resistant to conscious reassurance.
Drawing on contemporary research in predictive processing, affective neuroscience, and psychophysiology, the seminar traces how safety functions as a gatekeeper for learning, memory integration, and exploratory behavior. We also examine why many widely used interventions, including mindfulness and attention-based practices, show inconsistent effects when safety has not been biologically established, and how individual differences in inflammation, prior stress exposure, and uncertainty sensitivity shape these outcomes.
This session offers a distinct framework for understanding safety not as an outcome to be achieved, but as a detection process that determines what the nervous system is willing to allow. This lecture is part of the monthly SoundMindScience LIVE seminar series, designed for real nervous systems, real lives, and real healing.
This seminar is offered as a free, live online lecture in the spirit of public scholarship and accessible education.
Meet Kristen
Interdisciplinary Educator · Research Communicator · Contemplative Guide
Kristen Estill is an interdisciplinary educator and research communicator whose work bridges psychology, contemplative science, Jungian depth psychology, and Gothic literature.
With a foundation in neuroscience and positive psychology, she creates learning experiences that integrate empirical insight with archetypal, symbolic, and narrative frameworks, supporting thoughtful self-inquiry, nervous system awareness, and meaning-making beyond surface-level wellness.
Through SoundMindScience, Kristen offers courses, lectures, and contemplative practices that invite people to learn how the mind and body work, embody that knowledge through lived practice, and align their lives with values, integrity, and inner truth.
Recent Articles
Long-form essays and public scholarship at the intersection of psychology, neuroscience, contemplative science, and symbolic inquiry.
Let’s Meditate
2 hr
144 US dollars
"Lovely - I am left feeling refreshed and connected, both to myself and source. Thank you."
"Thank you, Kristen. I was late, but what I witnessed healed something in my heart that I didn't know was broken. I am so grateful for you always... sending you so much love."
"Soothing and powerful, a balm to my soul. Gratitude"
"Beautiful, calm, supportive and empowering all at once 🙏❤️"
"During these disturbing times, this meditation is an opportunity to soothe and bathe in light and peace."
"Having gone through a subdural hematoma, this meditation definitely helps, especially the calm voice which helps the anxiety. Thanks, bless you"
"Extraordinary meditation to connect to your inner wisdom. NAMASTE"
The Guiding Pillars
Learn
Discover how the brain, body, and nervous system actually work, so healing becomes grounded in evidence, not guesswork.
Embody
Transformation lives in your tissues, not just your thoughts. Explore breathwork, rhythm, and regulation to return to felt safety.
Align
Let your insights shape your identity and actions. Align your self-care, habits, and choices with your deepest values
Digital Stillpoint
A quiet pause in your feed.
Find us on Instagram: @soundmindscience
