Adultization
Loss of Belonging in Zone 3 Neurobiological and Epigenetic Signature

Introduction

Have you ever stopped to think about how a child’s brain learns to belong?
At the beginning of life, we are like open biological antennas: we feel, play, laugh, and cry in synchrony with those around us. It is in this “collective game” that the brain begins to mold its connections — from the most basic circuits of emotion to the networks that enable critical thinking and self-awareness.

But what happens when this process is interrupted too soon?
When a child is pushed into responsibilities, social pressures, or ideological expectations that do not fit their age, something profound occurs: the body defends itself, the brain closes off, and even DNA can register this pressure in the form of epigenetic marks.

This state is what we call Zone 3.
Zone 3 is a condition in which consciousness is activated by ideologies, rigid beliefs, or work demands that impose interoceptive (visceral) and proprioceptive (postural and motor) tensions. Under these circumstances, the body is silenced: instead of listening to its own internal signals, the person merely reproduces external patterns. It is in this zone that Adultization imprisons childhood and robs it of Belonging.

1. Childhood as the Basis of Belonging and the Window of Neural Development

In childhood, Belonging is built through Human Quorum Sensing (QSH): the child learns to be part of the group through affective synchrony, play, bodily discoveries, and sensori-motor exploration. This experience is not only social — it is also biological, regulating both feelings (as stable metabolic states) and the rapid emotions that organize the developing brain.

From a neural development perspective, childhood follows a bottom-up process: subcortical structures such as the amygdala, hippocampus, and the limbic system, along with sensory regions that process vision, hearing, and touch, mature first. These circuits provide the foundation for the later strengthening of the prefrontal cortex (PFC).

Full maturation only occurs when the PFC — particularly the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) — integrates emotional and sensory information, enabling top-down control. This process allows for emotional regulation, critical thinking, and, above all, Metacognition: the capacity to reflect on one’s own thoughts and to recognize what is known and what is not.

Researchers such as António Damásio have shown that reason emerges only through the integration of body, emotion, and brain. Authors like Matthew Lieberman and Steve Fleming emphasize that the PFC functions as a bridge between automatic impulses and reflective awareness.

When a child is adultized prematurely, this natural process is disrupted: they are forced to activate a top-down control that is still immature, before foundational circuits are ready. The result is a detour: childhood ceases to be the school of Belonging (Zone 2) and is pushed into Zone 3, where consciousness is hijacked by imposed tensions, silencing the body and blocking creativity.

2. From Psychosocial Stress to Cellular Signature: The Stress Axis and Epigenetics

Premature Adultization is not only a social or psychological phenomenon; it translates into a chronic psychosocial stressor that leaves deep marks in the body. Constant pressures — whether interoceptive (visceral, such as gastric tension or altered breathing) or proprioceptive (postural and motor, such as rigidity or premature fatigue) — place the child in a permanent defensive state. This continuous alertness is the gateway to Zone 3, where the body is silenced in order to adapt to external demands.

From a neurobiological perspective, this chronic state of alertness persistently activates the HPA axis (Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal), responsible for the stress response. The result is prolonged release of cortisol, a hormone essential for acute survival responses but toxic when sustained at high levels. Bruce McEwen’s work shows how allostatic overload — the physiological wear caused by repeated activation of the stress axis — compromises neural plasticity and affects multiple body systems.

At the cellular level, this excess cortisol alters gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms. Among these, DNA methylation stands out: chemical marks that silence or activate genes in a long-lasting way. Research by Rachel Yehuda on trauma survivors has demonstrated abnormal methylation patterns in stress-regulating genes such as NR3C1 (the glucocorticoid receptor). The ACE Study (Adverse Childhood Experiences) confirmed this correlation on a large scale: adverse experiences in childhood — including neglect, abuse, and adult responsibilities — drastically increase the likelihood of cardiovascular disease, depression, addiction, and even immune alterations in adulthood.

In simple terms: an adultized child loses not only their social Belonging within the group, but also carries in their cells an epigenetic signature of stress. This “chemical record” reinforces a defensive state and restricts the expression of genes related to growth, repair, and creativity, perpetuating the cycle of Zone 3.

3. Zone 3 as the Hijacking of Mind, Body, and DNA

In Zone 3, consciousness is not free: it is activated from the outside in by ideologies, beliefs, or survival demands that impose interoceptive and proprioceptive tensions. This silencing of the body creates a state in which:

• The person ceases to feel their own physiological and emotional needs;
  
  

• The brain shifts to defensive mode, prioritizing repetition of rules and narratives;
  
  

• The body, deprived of fruition, records these pressures even at the cellular level, through epigenetic methylations.
  
  

In other words, Zone 3 is an invisible prison: outwardly it may appear as discipline, faith, or work; inwardly it is the loss of Belonging and suppression of creativity.

4. Reopening Zone 2: Restoring the Path of Integral Development

The way out of Adultization is not to deny maturity, but to restore the natural cycle of development, in which the body and brain mature in harmony. This means making space for the child to re-enter Zone 2 — a physiological and psychological state essential for system reconfiguration and self-checking.

Biologically, Zone 2 is characterized by the temporary deactivation of the mTOR pathway (mammalian Target of Rapamycin). mTOR is a metabolic sensor linked to energy and nutrient availability; when continuously activated, it promotes growth and anabolism. However, when deactivated — as in Zone 2 — the organism enters a state of regenerative pause, in which repair mechanisms, cellular cleansing (autophagy), and neural reorganization can take place. It is in this state that the body and brain “breathe” and reassess their balance.

This metabolic and neural space is precisely the fertile ground of Belonging:

• The body steps out of fight-or-defense mode, recovering interoception and proprioception.
  
  

• The brain can reorganize connections, fostering synaptic plasticity and preparing for Metacognition.
  
  

• Cells encounter a less oxidative and less tensioned environment, reducing the risk of maladaptive epigenetic methylations.
  
  

To encourage healthy entry into and maintenance of Zone 2, several conditions are essential:

• Safe environments: spaces where children can play, make mistakes, and explore without fear. This reduces chronic HPA activation and allows natural cycling of mTOR deactivation.
  
  

• Reduction of external pressures: limiting excessive demands, premature work, and toxic overexposure to screens. The body needs metabolic relaxation intervals to activate repair.
  
  

• Regulatory practices: fostering experiences that promote Fruition (embodied living without performance pressure) and authentic Metacognition (free and spontaneous reflection).
  
  

• Respect for the ontogenetic program: supporting the natural genetic–epigenetic timetable, allowing cellular differentiation and synaptic maturation to proceed without Zone 3 hijacking.
  
  

Thus, Zone 2 emerges as the biological and existential heart of Belonging: a state in which the organism reorganizes, the body regains its voice, and the mind expands its awareness in a creative and critical way.

References

• Damásio, A. (1994). Descartes’ Error. Companhia das Letras.
  
  

• Damásio, A. (2017). The Strange Order of Things. Companhia das Letras.
  
  

• Lieberman, M. D. (2013). Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect. Crown Publishers.
  
  

• Fleming, S. M. (2021). Know Thyself: The Science of Self-Awareness. Basic Books.
  
  

• McEwen, B. S. (2007). Physiology and neurobiology of stress and adaptation: central role of the brain. Physiological Reviews, 87(3), 873–904.
  
  

• Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., et al. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245–258. [ACE Study]
  
  

• Yehuda, R., Daskalakis, N. P., et al. (2016). Epigenetic mechanisms in PTSD. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 17(10), 647–663.
  
  

• Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268.
  
  

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