Preliminary evidence that vagus nerve stimulation is a promising treatment for refractory depression, post traumatic stress disorder, and inflammatory bowel disease – an opportunity for mindfulness approach, meditation and hypnotherapy.

The vagus nerve represents the main component of the parasympathetic nervous system, which oversees bodily functions. It establishes one of the connections between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract and sends information about the state of the inner organs to the brain via afferent fibers. It is the tenth cranial nerve, extending from its origin in the brainstem through the neck and the thorax down to the abdomen. Due to its long path through the human body, it has also been described as the “wanderer nerve”. The vagus nerve has...