The Four-Mode Gradient maps four regulatory states that every person moves between: Connect (safety perceived, social engagement active), Protect (threat perceived, defensive mobilization), Collapse (overwhelm, shutdown), and Restore (active re-regulation, returning to connection). Unlike binary safe/unsafe models, it captures the full cycle including the recovery process.

The gradient is not a linear scale but a circuit. Healthy regulation involves flexible movement between all four states with the capacity to return to Connect. Dysregulation appears as getting stuck in one state or oscillating between two states without resolution. The gradient is measured through natural language patterns, physiological indicators, and behavioral markers.

Validated in the 2026 study 'Detecting Regulatory States in Natural Language' (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18428907). The four states map onto Porges' polyvagal hierarchy with the addition of the Restore pathway. Inter-rater reliability for identifying these states in text reached κ = 0.74.

A regulatory state describes the nervous system's current configuration for managing the environment. It encompasses physiological activation (heart rate, breathing, muscle tension), cognitive processing style (broad vs. narrow attention), emotional tone (calm, anxious, numb), and behavioral repertoire (what actions feel available). States are not chosen consciously — they emerge from the body's assessment of safety and threat.

TEG-Blue maps four regulatory states (Connect, Protect, Collapse, Restore) and tracks transitions between them. The key insight is that the state itself is not 'good' or 'bad' — Protect is adaptive when facing real threat. Dysregulation occurs when states become chronic, mismatched to context, or impossible to exit.