Have you heard about the neuroscience of emotions? In recent decades, research has taken on the challenge of unraveling the complexity of human emotions in a neuroscientific context.
Starting in the 70s of the last century, emotions regained prominence within psychology and became an object of the then emerging neuroscience.
Today, it is assumed that emotion is not just a mental state, but that it influences our way of thinking and our behavior.
Thus, the neuroscience of emotions helps us understand our own behavior.
What is the neuroscience of emotions?
The neuroscience of emotions is that part of the study of the human brain that deals with the study of the emotional processes within it. It emphasizes the inner process of the individual in the production and expression of emotion.
For neuroscientists, emotions arise from the body’s needs, which have internal or external motivations. They are essential for the functioning of the brain.
Emotions translate the information received externally and internally and predispose them to action. In this sense, emotions allow individual survival and also that of the species.
It is emotions that allow us to face the most complicated circumstances: risks, losses, breakups, desire to improve despite suffering frustrations, relationships, starting a family, etc. For its part, reason allows us to evaluate decisions, but it does not give us the drive we need to react.
Each emotion is an impulse to act, leading towards a different type of response or action.
How does the brain behave when we experience emotions?
The processing of emotions in the brain is found in the limbic system. Anger, fear, love… are cooked here. Specifically, two fundamental structures are located for this function: the amygdala and the hippocampus.
Amygdala
The amygdala is considered the “emotional center” of the brain. It is also closely related to learning and memory processes.
It is the amygdala that is responsible for sending signals to other parts of the brain, related to the survival of the individual. Some signals that impact thoughts, feelings and behaviors.
In a fearful situation, the amygdala connects with the hypothalamus through signals. In turn, the hypothalamus launches responses as survival mechanisms in the face of danger. In relation to fear, our heart may race or we may start to sweat.
In fact, it seems proven that certain lesions in this region can be the cause of a lack of fear or an abnormal recognition of dangerous situations.
On the other hand, the amygdala also intervenes in the development of positive emotions, such as love, pleasure or happiness.
Hippocampus
The hippocampus is responsible for formation of new memoriesalthough the processing of emotional memories is carried out primarily by the amygdala.
Let’s say that the hippocampus registers the facts, without further connotations, while the amygdala is responsible for giving them emotional meaning.
For this reason, emotionally significant memories are stored differently from memories of another nature, and they tend to be more vivid and last longer over time.
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