What Happens in Vegas

Sin City

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. You know the phrase and you know what it means. And if you’ve ever been there or spoken with anyone who has, you know why. The city is saturated with depravity, and the phrase celebrates secrecy and indulgence. It encourages people to act in ways they might never dare at home. But this phrase gets crushed by another catchy phrase: follow the science.

I’m not comparing PR teams and their viral memes. Instead, this is about how what happens in Vagus—specifically, the vagus nerve—can impact our mental and spiritual well-being in profound ways. The activities and relationships we participate in, and the events that happen to us can literally stay in us and affect us even though we think we’ve moved on.

Trauma and the Nervous System

Trauma is more common than we think. According to leading trauma expert Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one in five Americans has been molested, one in four grew up with an alcoholic parent, and one in three couples has experienced physical violence. Trauma affects the nervous system in three key ways:

1. Ventral Vagal State (safe and social): Our default, healthy state.

2. Sympathetic State (fight or flight): Activated by stress and danger.

3. Dorsal Vagal State (freeze): A shutdown response to overwhelming trauma.

When trauma is unresolved, the body remains stuck in a hypervigilant state, constantly reacting to past pain. Symptoms include anxiety, difficulty concentrating, chronic stress, and even physical illness.

What Happens in Vagus

The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the body, running from the brain to the gut. It plays a crucial role in calming us after stress. Trauma disrupts its function, keeping the body on high alert. Healing involves activating the parasympathetic nervous system, returning to a state of safety and connection.

Science confirms that practices like deep breathing, singing, and social bonding activate the vagus nerve. Sound familiar? These are core elements of a church service.

Revival in Vagus: How Church Heals Trauma

Healing from trauma isn’t about avoiding stress but about returning to peace quickly. Church facilitates this healing through:

• Perceived Safety: Friendly familiar faces, or even friendly new faces help us feel safe. Everything about the environment of a church is designed to make people feel warm, inviting and secure when they come.

• Physical Engagement: Clapping, singing, and movement reconnect us to our bodies.

• Breath & Sound: Singing and prayer regulate breathing and nervous system function.

• Community & Connection: Eye contact, handshakes, hugs, and shared experiences release healing chemicals in the brain.

The Healing Power of Church Attendance

Church attendance declined as a result of the pandemic, and mental health struggles surged. Hopefully the trend is reversing after people hit rock-bottom. Studies show that those who actively participate in church services experience better mental health. Why? Because church is more than just a place of worship—it’s a form of group therapy.

The physical act of attending and engaging in a church service can be therapeutic. I remember being in meetings with rooms full of mental health and medical professionals. When I asked them if they considered church to be a mental health resource, all of them overwhelmingly agreed. Singing, praying, listening to a sermon, and responding at the altar activate our body’s natural healing mechanisms.

But the church also has a secret weapon: the altar—a place where we meet God and experience His transforming presence.

The Altar: A Place of Breakthrough

Healing isn’t just intellectual—it’s physical and spiritual. The altar is where we respond to God, completing the healing cycle. Just as trauma impacts the body, healing must involve the body. When we kneel, lift our hands, or step forward in faith, confronting what is in Vagus, we signal to our nervous system: I am safe. I am healed. I am free.

What happens in Vagus doesn’t stay there—it impacts our whole lives. And the church is God’s designed place for healing and transforming what’s happened to you.