Parts of the Brain for Specific Emotions

The brain is the most complex organ in the human body, and is the seat of our thinking, feeling and functioning self. Hippocrates famously said that "Men ought to know that from the brain and the brain alone arise our pleasures, joys, laughter and jests, as well as our sorrows, pain and griefs."



There are several therapeutic and medicinal approaches to maintaining a balanced emotional state, whether an individual suffers from clinical depression, or whose emotions feel unstable because of previous traumatic memories invading situations in the present moment. Understanding the way the brain processes and produces emotions can greatly benefit an individual's management of her own mental health.

The Amydala

• The amydala is the part of the brain that is associated with fear. It makes up part of the "limbic system," a connection of areas of the brain that control emotion and our physical responses to it. When the amydala is activated, it gives rise to a sensation of fear or feeling under threat, which produces the "fight or flight" response that enables us to run away or to stand our ground and fight for survival. The physical feelings associated with this are trembling, dry mouth, ringing in the ears, tunnel vision, and racing heart. This is how anxiety feels in the body.

The Hippocampus

• The Hippocampus contains and controls memory. If trauma occurs, the blocking of memory happens in the hippocampus. If the fear center (amygdala) is triggered, the hippocampus also activates to spark memories of previous threatening situations as a way to evaluate the current threat

The Thalamus

• The Thalamus is the area of the brain that produces changes in emotional reactivity. According to Healing Arts medical website, "lesion or stimulation of the medial dorsal and anterior nuclei of the thalamus are associated with changes in emotional reactivity." In other words, patients who have been awake during brain surgery have reported changes in their emotion when the thalamus is stimulated.

The Hypothalamus

• The Hypothalamus regulates temperature, sexuality, hunger and thirst, as well as emotion. The Hypothalamus produces emotional reactions to stimuli in co-operation with other areas of the limbic system. For example, if the amygdala, or fear center, is activated, the Hypothalamus will produce the physical symptoms of fear. It has no ability to generate emotions independently of its connection with other parts of the limbic system.

The Cingulate Gyrus

• The Cingulate Gyrus is involved in unexplained anxiety and depression.

  The Cingulate Gyrus associates pleasurable feelings with sights and smells, linking the inner self with the external world. This area also regulates emotional responses to pain, and inhibits aggressive behavior. Cutting a single cluster of fibers in this region can minimize depression and anxiety, so it plays a key role in managing mood disorders that are not caused by psychological trauma or genetic history of depressive illness.