Audio Layering & Somatic Cue Skill

This Is Nervous-System Engineering, Not "Background Music"

This Skill controls how the body experiences the journey.

You can have perfect language and perfect symbolism—and still fail if the body does not feel safe.

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Purpose

Regulate the listener's physiological state to support safe, embodied trance experiences through breath, sound, and somatic awareness.

This Skill manages four biological systems:

1. Breath rhythm — Pacing and autonomic regulation
2. Muscle tone — Relaxation without disconnection
3. Arousal level — Depth without overwhelm
4. Orientation — Body presence vs dissociation

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Core Question

At all times, the listener's nervous system asks:

"Am I safe right now?"

Audio + somatic cues answer this question continuously, below conscious awareness.

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Must Always

• Keep voice dominant over music/effects
• Anchor in breath and body before imagery
• Reintroduce physical awareness regularly
• Match audio pacing to desired nervous system state
• Include body orientation during emergence

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Never

• Use rhythms that override natural breath
• Stack silence + deep imagery without somatic anchor
• Create audio that induces dissociation
• Allow music to dominate voice
• Forget body during deep visualization

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Sub-Skills

Breath Regulation (breath-regulation/)

• inhale-exhale-pacing.md — Breath timing for calming
• breath-language-mapping.md — Speech ↔ breath synchronization
• coherence-ratios.md — HRV-optimized breathing patterns

Somatic Anchoring (somatic-anchoring/)

• heaviness.md — Gravitational grounding cues
• warmth.md — Temperature-based comfort
• grounded-contact.md — Physical surface awareness
• posture-awareness.md — Body position consciousness

Arousal Control (arousal-control/)

• calming-curves.md — Progressive relaxation trajectories
• intensity-ceilings.md — Maximum depth safety limits
• overload-prevention.md — Emotional flooding guards

Audio Layering (audio-layering/)

• voice-vs-music-balance.md — Mix priority rules
• frequency-bands.md — Spectral allocation
• rhythm-constraints.md — BPM and tempo safety
• silence-usage.md — Pause strategy

Exit Reintegration (exit-reintegration/)

• sensory-return.md — Awareness restoration
• body-orientation.md — Physical reconnection
• temporal-awareness.md — Time re-grounding

Validation (validation/)

• dissociation-red-flags.md — Warning pattern detection
• pacing-checks.md — Rhythm verification
• loudness-consistency.md — Level validation

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Breath Regulation

The Golden Rule

Exhale longer than inhale = parasympathetic activation

Suggested ratios:

• Light relaxation: 4-4 (equal)
• Moderate depth: 4-6 (1:1.5)
• Deep relaxation: 4-8 (1:2)

Breath-Paced Speech

Phrases should end on exhale, pauses placed where exhale naturally occurs:

<prosody rate="1.0" pitch="-1st">
  Breathing in... <break time="1.5s"/>
  and letting go... <break time="3s"/>
  with each exhale... <break time="2s"/>
  releasing... <break time="2s"/>
  more deeply.
</prosody>

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Somatic Anchoring

The Anti-Dissociation Core

Somatic cues keep consciousness inside the body.

Approved Anchors

Anchor	SSML Example
Warmth	"A gentle warmth spreading through your chest..."
Heaviness	"Your arms growing pleasantly heavy..."
Contact	"The surface beneath you, supporting..."
Breath	"The rise and fall of your breathing..."
Weight	"The weight of your body, resting..."

Forbidden Anchors

Pattern	Why Dangerous
"Floating away"	Dissociation trigger
"Melting into nothing"	Body dissolution
"Leaving your body behind"	Explicit dissociation
"Becoming pure light"	Body transcendence

Insertion Frequency

Session Phase	Somatic Cue Frequency
Pre-talk	Every 2-3 minutes
Induction	Every 1-2 minutes
Deepening	Every 1-2 minutes
Journey	Every 2-3 minutes
Helm (deep)	Every 1-2 minutes
Integration	Every 2 minutes
Emergence	Continuous

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Audio Layering Rules

Voice Dominance Principle

Voice ≥ foreground at all times

Element	Level	Role
Voice	-6 dB reference	Always dominant
Binaural	-6 to -9 dB	Support, never compete
Ambient	-12 to -18 dB	Atmosphere only
SFX	Variable	Momentary emphasis

Frequency Band Separation

• Voice: Mid-range protected (200Hz - 4kHz)
• Binaural: Low (base 100-400Hz)
• Ambient: High and low, avoiding mid
• SFX: Momentary, any band

Rhythm Constraints

Constraint	Rule
No hypnotic drumming	Without body anchors
No sudden tempo changes	Gradual transitions only
No percussive spikes	Unpredictable startle
BPM ceiling	60-70 BPM max for deep work

Silence Strategy

Silence is a tool, not absence:

Silence ≠ Absence
Silence = Integration window

Rules:

• Never silence + deep imagery + no body cue
• Maximum intentional silence: 5 seconds
• Longer pauses need ambient continuation
• Silence always followed by grounding

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Arousal Regulation

The Window of Tolerance

Keep listener within their capacity for experience:

Too High (Hyperarousal)
↑ anxiety, overwhelm, panic
─────────────────────────────
OPTIMAL ZONE (Safe trance)
─────────────────────────────
↓ numbness, dissociation, collapse
Too Low (Hypoarousal)

Regulation Techniques

Direction	Audio Technique	Somatic Cue
Calm down	Slower tempo, lower frequencies	Breath exhale, heaviness
Lift up	Slightly brighter tone, more SFX	Body movement, sensory detail
Stabilize	Steady ambient, consistent voice	Ground contact, breath awareness

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Exit & Reintegration

Non-Negotiable Components

Every session must restore:

1. Body awareness — Physical sensation return
2. Sensory orientation — Sound, touch, temperature
3. Time awareness — Normal clock sense
4. Emotional neutrality — Not left in intensity

Exit Sequence Audio

Deep ambient → gradually brighten
Low frequencies → add mid/high
Slow tempo → slightly increase
Reverb → reduce to drier sound

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Integration With Other Skills

Skill	Relationship
hypnotic-language/	Provides text that audio accompanies
symbolic-mapping/	Imagery requires body anchor
psychological-stability/	Tier 2 triggers when arousal exceeds window

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Production Integration

Before SSML Generation

• Set breath cadence targets
• Define somatic anchor frequency
• Choose audio density profile

During SSML Generation

• Insert body-check phrases
• Control pause timing
• Avoid forbidden imagery patterns

After TTS

• Check speech rate compatibility
• Flag intensity spikes

After Mix

• Validate loudness (-14 LUFS target)
• Ensure voice dominance
• Check transitions

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Quality Rubric

Before approving any audio:

Criterion	Check
Voice clarity	Can every word be understood?
Body anchoring	Are somatic cues frequent enough?
Arousal regulation	Does intensity stay in safe range?
Emergence	Is return to normal complete?
Dissociation	Any red flag patterns?

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Related Resources

• Serena Memory: audio_production_methodology
• Knowledge: knowledge/binaural_presets.yaml
• Knowledge: knowledge/psychology/polyvagal_theory.yaml
• Validation: scripts/utilities/validate_binaural.py