The Abdominal Segment — The Seat of Knowing — The Living Body examination

Eleven questions. Nine of eleven passes, and you can take it again as often as you like.

Which structure in the abdomen does the course say neuroscience calls the second brain?

The enteric nervous system in the gut wall The solar plexus ring of muscle The psoas and the deep hip rotators The suboccipital muscles at the base of the neck
What domain does the abdominal segment govern?

Reaching, embracing and pushing others away Perception, witness and contact with reality Voice, expression and the capacity to ask others for help Gut feeling, the core sense of self and visceral truth
What does the course say develops in the abdominal region in childhood?

The felt sense of being a real, continuous person with an inside of one's own The ability to scan the environment quickly and constantly for danger and threat The first reaching of the arms toward caregivers and others The capacity to speak, vocalise and ask for what one needs
What dual function does chronic belly tension serve?

Holding in dangerous emotions and armouring the vulnerable core Projecting power outward and attracting admiration Supporting the spine and improving the person's everyday posture Speeding digestion and calming the heart after meals
A person says they have no gut feelings, decide everything with their head, and feel hollow in the centre. Which pattern fits?

The defended belly The numb belly Chronic belly tension Solar plexus armouring
What distinguishes the defended belly from chronic belly tension?

It is numb and carries no sensation whatsoever It is guarded rather than hard, tensing when approached It is soft and fully relaxed at all times of day It is overcharged with sexual and instinctual energy
What is the compressed gift of the tense belly?

Equanimity and steadiness in the face of turbulence and change Receptivity to being fed and nourished by life Comprehensive awareness of the whole periphery Powerful boundaries defining where self ends and other begins
What is the compressed gift of the numb belly?

Powerful boundaries against invasion from others Passionate love of great depth Equanimity, remaining steady amid turbulence Authentic voice and clear conviction
Why do decisions become easier when the abdominal segment softens?

Someone else in their life begins to make the decisions for them The person simply stops caring very much about the outcomes An embodied intelligence becomes available that knows before the mind does The choices on offer genuinely become simpler and fewer in number as time goes on
How does the course interpret the slow tears that often come when abdominal armouring releases?

As a breakdown that should be stopped as quickly as possible As unrelated to the belly and caused by simple fatigue As a homecoming, the core self welcoming back what it held away As a sign that the release has gone too far, too fast
Which question does the belly inquiry invite you to ask gently?

When exactly did you first start to hurt like this? Why are you so tense and tight all the time? How can I make you flatter, firmer and stronger? What do you know that I haven't been listening to?