Question

What role does the amygdala play in emotional responses? How can you or others use the HeartMath Solution to enhance your health?

Answer 1

The amygdala is part of the limbic system of the brain, which is involved with emotions and other reactions to stimuli. The amygdala is a processing center that is hooked up to receive incoming messages from our senses and our internal organs. It is highly involved with different emotional responses.

Fear is one of the responses that the amygdala is associated with. Responses to fear can include an increased heart rate, increased muscle tension, sweaty yet cold palms, and, at times, even nausea and diarrhea. These physical reactions get the body and mind ready for a fight or flight reaction. A fight or flight reaction is an internal defense mechanism to prepare the body and mind to get out of harm's way.

There are times when the amygdala takes a fearful situation and doesn't let go of it. These situations are usually extreme, such as fighting in a war. When the amygdala refuses to let go of this situation it may place the body in constant, or chronic, fight or flight mode. This type of disorder is known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Along with emotions, the amygdala processes memories. It filters the memories with the different emotional responses involved with the memory. The amygdala decides which memories it will keep and where the brain will store these memories. The more emotion attached to the memory, the more likely the amygdala will clear it for storage.

Let's use the emotions from a wedding as an example of this memory processing. The emotions attached to a bride's wedding are very strong (hopefully positive). The amygdala will sense this intense response to this day and give the memory a thumbs-up to pass into storage. It will send the memory to the hippocampus, another structure in the limbic system, which sends the memory into the proper storage box in the brain.

A HeartMath TIP:

Cut-Thru: Here’s a simple exercise adapted from the HeartMath Cut-Thru technique to help you achieve emotional coherence, which has been shown to improve the efficiency of the immune system.

• Be aware of how you feel about an issue at hand.
• Breathe a positive feeling or attitude.
• Be objective, as if the issue or problem is someone else’s.
• Rest peacefully in this neutral state, allowing your heart intelligence new perspectives and possibilities.
• Soak and relax all resistances and disturbing or perplexing feelings in your heart’s compassion.
• Ask for guidance, then be patient and receptive. While awaiting an answer from the heart find something or someone to genuinely appreciate.

In-depth details and a discussion about the Cut-Thru technique are included in a number of HeartMath materials, including the book Transforming Anxiety, The HeartMath Solution for Overcoming Fear and Worry and Creating Serenity, by Doc Childre and Deborah Rozman.