Part IV · Chapter 12
The Amygdala, Prefrontal Cortex and Hippocampus
The command post and the alarm.
Section 1
Prefrontal cortex: your command post
Cited researchThe front of your brain plans, weighs options, and puts the brakes on impulses. Under heavy stress, stress chemicals flood it and it goes partly offline. That's why smart people make tunnel-vision calls when they're amped. It's biology, not weakness.
Sources: Arnsten, A; Ochsner, K
Section 2
Limbic system and the vagus nerve: your comms network
Cited researchEmotion is built in the amygdala, insula and cingulate cortex, and it's wired to your actual heart through the vagus nerve. Heart rate variability tracks how well your thinking brain can steady your emotions. Simply putting a feeling into words measurably quiets the amygdala.
Sources: Lieberman, M; Thayer, J
Section 3
The hippocampus
Needs owner inputThis section is waiting on the program owner. The reference library doesn't yet include a source on the hippocampus. Until it's written, nothing here is invented to fill the gap.