Amygdala hijacking

Have you ever felt hopelessly swept away by a very powerful emotion that made you lose control?Have you ever gotten carried away and said things that you later regretted? Have you ever felt that it was an emotion that was driving your brain? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it means that you have been kidnapped at some point by your amygdala.

Amygdala hijacking or “Amygdala Hijack” is a term coined by psychologist Daniel Goleman. to explain this type of uncontrollable emotional reactions. Goleman, as an expert in emotional intelligence, tells us that the secret of our becoming irrational has to do with the momentary and immediate lack of emotional control because the amygdala assumes control in our brain.

What is the amygdala?

The amygdala is a subcortical structure located in the inner part of the medial temporal lobe., which is usually easily recognized because it is almond-shaped. Together with the hippocampus, hypothalamus and the orbitofrontal cortex they are part of what is known as the emotional brain or Limbic System.

The Limbic System regulates physiological responses to certain stimuli, that is, all its structures are essential for the emotional control of human behavior. But what makes the amygdala stand out within the Limbic System is that it is key to survival, because its main function is to integrate emotions with the response patterns corresponding to them, either at a physiological level or at a behavioral level.

Although the most important thing to understand its capacity for emotional hijacking is to understand that the amygdala not only produces an emotional reaction, but, Due to its connection with the frontal lobe, it also allows the inhibition of behaviors.

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How does this hijacking by the amygdala occur?

The hijacking of the amygdala is an immediate and disproportionate emotional reaction in relation to the stimulus that triggered it. because it is perceived as a threat to emotional stability. This occurs because the amygdala steals the activation of other brain areas, especially the cortex, dominating the subject’s behavior, and turning off the area that makes us more rational, more human.

The frontal area of ​​the cortex that is inhibited with the hijacking is responsible for our logical thinking or planning our actions. On the other hand, the amygdala is part of the most primitive structures of our brain and is what regulates emotions. So, Our logical thinking is subordinated to the control of our emotions.

You may find it somewhat strange that the most developed part of our brain, such as the cortex, can be dominated by a structure as primitive as the amygdala; However, it is something that makes sense if we look at it from an evolutionary perspective. Thousands of years ago, it was a matter of survival.

When we hunted in the jungle, and, for example, we found a lion, our amygdala deactivated the rest of the brain functions because it is not the time to stop and think about danger or to digest or ovulate, but rather it is the time to fight/flight response.

But in today’s world, When we are faced with significant stress, even if it does not threaten our survival, such as a traffic jam, our amygdala kidnaps us.. This causes our entire body to be filled with adrenaline and cortisol, which alter our body for, what is estimated, about four hours of emotional sequestration.

And because of that, After an intense emotion produced by a major stressor, we usually feel for a time what we can call an “emotional hangover.”. This hangover is due to the hormones that still circulate through our body and that make the discomfort last much longer.

What can we do in these situations?

Maybe you’ve heard that thing they say: “When you’re angry, count to ten, but if you’re really angry, count to a thousand.” This is a very smart strategy because, When you start counting you activate your cortex, the front and logical part of your brain, which, as we have said before, is inhibited during emotional kidnapping.

So, if you start counting when an intense emotion caused by stress arises, you can distance yourself from it, give yourself space, and understand in that moment what is happening. You can re-use the logical part of your brain to avoid those impulsive responses produced when you are under the amygdala hijacking.

Another strategy that often works is to focus on breathing consciously, typical mindfulness breathing. As your attention is focused on your breathing, every time you take a breath, you bring yourself to the present moment and stay calm. You activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which inhibits the sympathetic nervous system, which is the one activated during the amygdala hijacking experience.

Definitely, In order to get out of the amygdala hijacking when a major stressor activates it, you have to put space between what has happened and the present moment.. It is highly recommended to carry out activities that activate the logical part of your brain or others, such as mindfulness, that focus you on the present and teach you new ways to experience the emotion you are feeling.

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