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The Brain: A User's Guide to Emotions

the brain A USER'S GUIDE TO EMOTIONS As neuroscience researchers work to unravel the inner workings of the brain, we know more than ever before about the mysteries of where emotions originate in the brain and the connections between instinct, intelligence and emotion. THIS WORK IS YIELDING FASCINATING INSIGHTS THAT WE CAN USE TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE REACT TO SITUATIONS AND PEOPLE. The brain, which is a much more flexible organ that previously thought, can be consciously retrained to be more emotionally flexible, understanding and sensitive. THE EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONS OF THE BRAIN ARE INTERWOVEN AT MANY LEVELS. THESE MAPS PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE MAJOR AREAS OF THE BRAIN INVOLVED IN PROCESSING EMOTIONS. VIEWTHE BRAIN FROM ABOVE CEREBRUM RIGHT HEMISPHERE Houses the parts of Responsible for emotional and artistic expression, as well as most functions on the left side of the body. the brain that control and relate to emotions. LIMBIC SYSTEM Controls primitive, survival-based emotions. TEMPORAL LOBE Processes sounds and emotional responses, provides visual perception and maintains certain FRONTAL LOBE functions associated with memory. Masterminds complex mental processes including emotions. PREFRONTAL CORTEX Responsible for abstract analysis, cognitive analysis and the exercise of judgment. Cross.SECTION CrosSoF THE BRAIN NEURONS Conduct electrochemical messages throughout HYPOTHALAMUS the brain via a network of trillions of nerve fibers. Influences emotional THALAMUS Receives and distributes sensory information from throughout the body to various parts of the brain. responses as part of the limbic system, regulates hormone secretion. HIPPOCAMPUS Stores and retrieves memories; processes stimuli, provides context to those situations and relays that information to the amygdala. INSULA Provides emotional context to experience and interprets bodily states such as hungers and cravings. AMYGDALA Acts as the emotional processing center of the brain, responding to stimuli, especially danger, like a built-in alarm system. Aids in perception of emotions in others. FUSIFORM PITUITARY GLANDS Work with the hypothalamus in the production and distribution of hormones controlling hunger, growth and sex drive. Conveys ability to recognize faces. emotional HOW TO RETRAIN sajhjs YOUR BRAIN SIX EMOTIONAL DIMENSIONS THAT SHAPE OUR LIVES AND DETERMINE HOW WE RESPOND TO OUR ENVIRONMENT AND THE PEOPLE AROUND US, BASED ON ACTIVITY IN THE BRAIN. H HOW TO RETRAIN DEFINITION ORIGINATES RESILIENCE OUTLOOK THE ABILITY TO THE ABILITY TO SUSTAIN A RECOVER FROM ADVERSITY. POSITIVE Signals between the prefrontal EMOTIONAL VIEWPOINT. cortex and the amygdala. Engage regularly in mindfulness meditation, focusing on your Ventral straitum breathing and the sensations in your body. SELF-AWARENESS Fill your workstation and home with positive reminders of happy times, such as vacations or photos of friends and family; change those photos every few weeks. Express gratitude frequently by thanking people and keeping a gratitude journal. THE ABILITY TO DETERMINE THE PHYSICAL SIGNALS THAT REFLECT EMOTIONS. Signals between SOCIAL INTERACTIONS visceral organs and the insula THE ABILITY TO INTERPRET SOCIAL CUES. Interplay between the amygdala and fusiform For the overly self-aware and critical, practice non-judgmentally observing thoughts and feelings; for those who want to develop more self-awareness, tune in frequently to your body and determine how you feel and where those feelings originate. Watch the body language of strangers and try to guess what emotions they are expressing. Work up to doing the same with family, friends and colleagues, monitoring how their body language matches with their tone of voice. SENSITIVITY TO CONTEXT THE ABILITY TO REGULATE RESPONSES BASED ON THE CONTEXT OF A SITUATION. ATTENTION THE SHARPNESS AND CLARITY Activity levels in the hippocampus OF FOCUS. Regulated by the prefrontal cortex List behaviors or events that trigger responses and consider why they did so. Think about your behaviors in those situations, meditating and breathing deeply until you feel more relaxed. Spend 10 minutes a day sitting in a quiet room and focusing on one object, refocusing when your attention wanders. SOURCES http://www.salon.com/2012/02/25/the_scientific_argument_for_being_emotional http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/02/19/tired-of-feeling-bad-the-new-science-of-feelings-can-help.html http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/04/26/the-emotional-life-of-the-brain/ http://www.forbes.com/pictures/Imj45jefj/change-your-brain-change-your-life/ http://www.brainwaves.com/brain_diagram.html http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/health-and-human-body/human-body/brain-article.html http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/d/d_04/d_04 cr/d_04_cr_peu/d_04_cr_peu.html http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/i/i_04/i_04_cr/i_04_cr_peu/i_04_cr_peu.html http://biology.about.com/od/anatomy/p/temporal-lobes.htm http://homepage.ntlworld.com/teversal/myweb/CNS/thalamus.htm http://biology.about.com/od/anatomy/p/Hypothalamus.htm http://biology.about.com/od/anatomy/a/aa042205a.htm http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/06/health/psychology/06brain.html?_r=0&pagewanted=print http://www.hhs.gov/opa/familylife/tech_assistance/etraining/adolescent_brain/Development/prefrontal_cortex/ http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/i/i_12/i_12_cr/i_12_cr_con/i_12_cr_con.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/24/facial-recognition-brain-fusiform-gyrus_n_2010192.html http://www.richarddavidson.com BESTPSYCHOLOGYDEGREES.COM

The Brain: A User's Guide to Emotions

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As neuroscience researchers work to unravel the inner workings of the brain, we know more than ever before about the mysteries of where emotions originate in the brain and the connections between inst...

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