Emotional map of the brain: why we are ashamed of our temples, but afraid of our tonsils

Guilt and Shame: Temporal Lobes

It is easy for us to understand how memory or counting can be processes occurring in the brain. However, feelings aren't quite so simple, partly because in speech we use phrases like "break your heart" to describe sadness or "blush" to describe shame. And yet, feelings are a phenomenon from the field of neurophysiology: a process that takes place in the tissues of the main organ of our nervous system. Today we can partially appreciate it thanks to neuroimaging technology.

As part of their research, Petra Michl and several of her colleagues at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich recently took a series of MRI scans. They sought to find areas of the brain that are responsible for our ability to feel guilty or ashamed. Scientists have found that shame and guilt seem to be neighbors on the block, although each of these feelings has its own anatomical region.

The researchers asked participants to imagine feeling guilty or ashamed, and in both cases it activated the temporal lobes of the brain. At the same time, shame involved the anterior cingulate cortex, which monitors the external environment and informs a person about mistakes, and the parahippocampal gyrus, which is responsible for remembering scenes from the past. Vina, in turn, “turned on” the lateral occipitotemporal gyrus and the middle temporal gyrus, the center of the vestibular analyzer. In addition, the anterior and middle frontal gyri began to work in shamed people, and in those who felt guilty, the amygdala (tonsils) and insula became more active. The last two areas of the brain are part of the limbic system, which regulates our basic fight-or-flight emotions, the functioning of internal organs, blood pressure and other parameters.

Having compared MRI images of the brains of people of different sexes, scientists found that in women, guilt affected only the temporal lobes, while in men, the frontal lobes, occipital lobes and tonsils began to work in parallel - one of the most ancient elements of the brain, which are responsible for feelings of fear, anger, panic and pleasure.

Emotions and our brain: how and where feelings are born

Scientists have been studying the brain for more than 100 years, but it still remains a huge mystery for humans. How does the brain work? No neuroscientist can answer this question today. We are only able to understand some of the phenomena that occur in the neural networks of the brain and how they affect our state. So how are human emotions formed, and in which areas of the brain are feelings born? A few words about emotions Emotions are one of the manifestations of a person’s attitude towards himself and the surrounding reality. Today, scientists know a lot about the formation of emotions and the mechanisms of their occurrence, which has made it possible to control them. Thus, a competent psychologist can work well with a person’s emotions, giving him the opportunity to cope with their negative manifestations, in particular, to overcome fear, anger and other conditions that prevent a person from enjoying life. There are many words that explain certain emotional shades - joy, grief, compassion, fear, anger, jealousy, pity, indifference, love and many others. If we consider emotion from a purely physiological point of view, then it represents the body’s reaction to the influence of certain internal and external stimuli. Such reactions are clearly subjective in nature and, as a rule, cover all types of sensitivity. You need to understand that emotions manifest themselves not only in certain subjective experiences, but also in completely objective manifestations. For example, when experiencing a particular emotion, a person performs certain actions, expresses facial expressions, and exhibits vegetative reactions specific to this emotion.

Feelings of guilt and shame - temporal lobes It is quite easy for us to understand how the brain operates with memory and the thought process. But what about feelings? We are so used to phrases like “heartbreaking” when talking about sadness, or “blushing” when describing shame. In this sense, it is quite difficult for us to accept the fact that emotions and feelings, as well as the thought process and memory, are formed in the brain. And yet, it is so. Emotions are a neurophysiological process that occurs in the tissues of the brain. Today, thanks to neuroimaging technologies, scientists can evaluate this process. A group of scientists from the Ludwig Maximilian University (Munich), led by Petra Michal, conducted a series of interesting studies to identify areas of the brain that are responsible for feelings of guilt and shame. After conducting many MRI scans of the brain, scientists found that anatomically these two emotions are adjacent. The experimenters asked study participants to imagine feeling intense guilt or shame, and in both cases, such emotions activated the temporal lobes of the brain. It should be noted that shame involved the anterior cingulate cortex, which is responsible for communication with the external environment and informs a person about mistakes, as well as the parahippocampal gyrus, which is responsible for remembering scenes and memories from the past. As for the feeling of guilt, it in turn activated the lateral occipitotemporal gyrus and the middle temporal gyrus. This is the center of the vestibular analyzer. In addition, the anterior and middle frontal gyri began to activate in shamed people, and in those who felt guilty, the amygdala and insula also became active. As for the last two areas of the brain, they are part of the limbic system, which regulates our basic emotions, for example, “fight or flight,” as well as the functioning of internal organs, blood pressure and other processes and reactions. When comparing MRI images of the brains of people of different sexes, scientists discovered an interesting fact. So, in women, for example, guilt affected only the temporal lobes, but in men the frontal lobes, occipital lobes and tonsils also began to work. These are some of the most ancient elements of the brain that are responsible for feelings of fear, panic, anger and pleasure.

Feelings of anger and fear - amygdala The limbic system of the brain is responsible for the feelings, actions and reactions necessary for the survival of the species. The limbic system is formed during intrauterine development of the fetus. The most important element of the limbic system is the amygdala, a structure located near the hypothalamus. The tonsils are activated when a person sees food, a sexual partner, crying children, rivals, and so on. The body's reaction to the source of fear is also the work of the amygdala. For example, if you are returning home at night, and on the way it seems to you that someone is following you, then this is also the work of the tonsils. In the course of several independent studies conducted at various centers and universities, experts were able to find out that even artificial stimulation of these areas causes a person to feel that imminent danger is approaching. As for anger, it turned out that it also arises due to the activity of the amygdala. At the same time, scientists were able to find out that in terms of physiological parameters, anger is very different from fear, sadness and other unfavorable emotions. Paradoxical as it may seem, in this sense human anger is surprisingly similar to happiness. Thus, anger pushes us forward, like joy and pleasure, while fear and grief force a person to withdraw. In a state of anger, rage and malice, a variety of areas in the brain are activated, because to realize this emotion the brain needs to assess the situation, as well as turn to memory, experience, normalize the production of necessary hormones and do a lot of other work in order to fully prepare the body for such a feeling .

Feelings of joy and laughter - prefrontal cortex and hippocampus When we experience joy, happiness, laughter and smiling, a large number of different areas in the brain are activated at this time. It also involves the familiar amygdala, as well as the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and anterior insular cortex. Thus, joy, as well as anger and fear, covers almost the entire brain. Scientists have found that at a moment of joy, a person’s right amygdala becomes slightly more active than the left. It is a fairly common belief that the left hemisphere of the brain is responsible for logical processes, and the right hemisphere for creativity. However, today scientists know that this is not true, because the brain actually needs both parts to perform most functions, despite the fact that asymmetry of the hemispheres does exist. For example, large speech centers are located on the left side, and the area that is responsible for processing intonation is located on the right side. The prefrontal cortex is closely connected to the limbic system of the brain. The latter consists of several areas of the frontal lobes of the brain, located in the front of the hemispheres, directly behind the frontal bone. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for our ability to set goals and plans, achieve results, and change direction and even improvise. Studies show that in women, in moments of happiness, the prefrontal cortex of the left hemisphere is slightly more active than the right. The hippocampus is another anatomical structure of the brain that helps a person separate important emotional events from unimportant ones. Thus, a person retains strong emotions in memory for a long time, but insignificant ones are quickly forgotten. That is, the hippocampus evaluates the significance of a happy emotion in order to place it in the memory archive. This is achieved, among other things, due to the activity of the anterior insular lobe of the brain, which is also connected with the limbic system. It has been established that the insular lobe of the brain behaves most actively when a person experiences pleasant or sad feelings.

Feelings of tenderness and consolation - somatosensory cortex As numerous studies show, loneliness not only on a psychological, but also on a physiological level causes serious harm to the body. It makes a person restless, anxious, and also weakens the immune system. Lonely people who cannot share their experiences with other people become sad and prone to various diseases. At the same time, many other studies show that companionship is beneficial for a person physically and spiritually. It prolongs life and improves its quality. Even the touch of the hand of someone you care about greatly eases sadness and pain. This occurs due to the release of specific neurotransmitters - oxytocin and opioids. They are produced in moments of tenderness. Using tomographic studies, it was found that affection and tenderness cause a strong surge of activity in the somatosensory cortex of the brain, which is responsible for our tactile sensations. Scientists have come to the conclusion that the impulses that arise when someone gently touches our body, especially in difficult moments, are associated with the process of isolating from the general flow of critical stimuli that can change everything for us. The researchers also noticed that the participants in the experiment experienced grief more easily when they were held by a stranger, and much easier when they were touched by a loved one. Instead of a conclusion Despite active study of the brain, scientists have not yet been able to figure out exactly what an emotion is.
Today we know that many feelings originate in the limbic system, which is an ancient structure of the brain. However, scientists are aware that not everything that we traditionally recognize as emotions is actually them. For example, if we consider such a state as lust, then from a physiological point of view it is not at all similar to fear or joy. It has been established that during lust, impulses are formed not in the tonsils, but in the ventral striatum - the so-called “reward center”. For example, this area is also activated when we eat tasty food and during orgasm.

Fear and Anger: The Amygdala

During intrauterine development of the embryo, the limbic system is formed immediately after the trunk, which organizes reflexes and connects the brain with the spinal cord. Her job is feelings and actions that are necessary for the survival of the species. The tonsils are an important element of the limbic system. These areas are located near the hypothalamus, inside the temporal lobes, and are activated when we see food, sexual partners, rivals, crying children, and so on. The body's various reactions to fear are also their work: if you feel like a stranger is following you at night in the park and your heart starts pounding, this is due to the activity of the tonsils. In the course of several independent studies conducted at various centers and universities, experts were able to find out that even artificial stimulation of these areas causes a person to feel that imminent danger is approaching.

Anger is also largely a function of the amygdala. However, it is very different from fear, sadness and other negative emotions. The amazing thing about human anger is that it is similar to happiness: like joy and pleasure, it makes us move forward, while fear or grief forces us to withdraw. Like other emotions, anger, malice and rage cover a variety of parts of the brain: after all, in order to realize their impulse, this organ needs to assess the situation, access memory and experience, regulate the production of hormones in the body and do much more.

How does the brain work?

The brain is an organ that has been studied rather poorly due to the complexity of its design. Its structure is still the subject of debate in scientific circles.

Nevertheless, there are these basic facts:

The adult human brain consists of twenty-five billion neurons (approximately). This mass makes up the gray matter.
There are three shells:
Soft;
Arachnoid (cerebrospinal fluid circulation channels);

They perform protective functions , responsible for safety during impacts and any other damage.

Next, controversial issues begin in choosing a position of consideration.

In the most common aspect, the brain is divided into three sections such as:

Two cerebral hemispheres;
Cerebellum;
Trunk;

It is impossible not to highlight another common view of this organ:

Final (hemisphere);
Intermediate;
Posterior (cerebellum);
Average;
Oblong;

In addition, it is necessary to mention the structure of the telencephalon and the united hemispheres:

Frontal lobe;
Occipital;
Parietal;
Temporal;

Tenderness and comfort: somatosensory cortex

In many cultures, it is customary to hide sadness and shock: for example, in British English there is even an idiomatic expression “keep a stiff upper lip,” which means “not to show your feelings.” However, neuroscientists argue that from the point of view of brain physiology, a person simply needs the participation of other people. “Clinical experiments show that loneliness provokes stress more than any other factor,” says German scientist, author of the book “The Science of Happiness” Stefan Klein. “Loneliness is a burden on the brain and body. The result is anxiety, confusion in thoughts and feelings (a consequence of stress hormones) and a weakened immune system. Isolation makes people sad and sick.”

Study after study shows that companionship is good for you physically and mentally. It prolongs life and improves its quality. “One touch from someone close to you and deserving of your trust eases sadness,” says Stefan. "This is a consequence of the neurotransmitters - oxytocin and opioids - that are released during moments of tenderness."

Recently, British researchers were able to confirm the theory of the usefulness of affection using computed tomography. They found that the touch of other people causes strong bursts of activity in the somatosensory cortex, which is already working constantly, tracking all our tactile sensations. Scientists have come to the conclusion that the impulses that arise if someone gently touches our body in difficult moments are associated with the process of isolating from the general flow of critical stimuli that can change everything for us. Experts also noticed that the experiment participants experienced grief more easily when a stranger held their hand, and much easier when their palm was touched by a loved one.

Joy and laughter: prefrontal cortex and hippocampus

When we experience joy, experience happiness, laugh or smile, many different areas of our brain light up. The process of creating and processing positive emotions involves the familiar amygdala, prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and anterior insula cortex, so that feelings of joy, like anger, sadness, or fear, pervade the entire brain.

In joyful moments, the right amygdala becomes much more active than the left. Today, it is widely believed that the left hemisphere of our brain is responsible for logic, and the right hemisphere for creativity. However, we have recently learned that this is not the case. The brain requires both parts to perform most functions, although hemispheric asymmetries exist: for example, the largest speech centers are located on the left, while processing of intonation and accents is more localized on the right.

The prefrontal cortex is several areas of the brain's frontal lobes that are located at the front of the hemispheres, just behind the frontal bone. They are associated with the limbic system and are responsible for our ability to set our goals, make plans, achieve desired results, change course and improvise. Research shows that during happy moments in women, the prefrontal cortex on the left hemisphere is more active than the same area on the right.

The hippocampi, which are located deep in the temporal lobes, together with the amygdala, help us separate important emotional events from unimportant ones so that the former can be stored in long-term memory and the latter can be discarded. In other words, the hippocampi evaluate happy events in terms of their significance for the archive. The anterior insula cortex helps them do this. It is also connected to the limbic system and is most active when a person remembers pleasant or sad events.

Which part of the brain controls happiness?

Happiness refers to a general state of well-being or satisfaction. When we feel happy, we usually have positive thoughts and feelings.

Neuroimaging shows that happiness occurs partly in the limbic cortex. However, the upper part of the parietal lobe, which is responsible for spatial analysis, has something to do with this.

A 2015 study found that people with more gray matter in the right superior parietal lobe were happier. Experts believe that the upper part of the parietal lobe processes certain information and turns it into feelings of happiness. For example, imagine that you had a wonderful night with someone you care about. Later, when you remember this experience, you may feel a sense of happiness.

It is worth mentioning here such a neurotransmitter as serotonin, its participation and normal concentration in certain areas of the brain contributes to a sense of well-being. It’s not for nothing that this neurotransmitter is called the “hormone of happiness.”

Lust and love: not emotions

Today, the human brain is studied by thousands of neuroscientists around the world. However, science has not yet been able to accurately determine what emotion and feeling are. We know that many feelings originate in the limbic system, one of the most ancient elements of the brain. However, perhaps not everything we have traditionally recognized as an emotion actually is. For example, lust from the point of view of brain physiology is not similar to fear or joy. Its impulses are formed not in the tonsils, but in the ventral striatum, which is also called the “reward center.” This area is also activated during orgasm or eating tasty food. Some scientists even doubt that lust is a feeling.

However, lust differs from love, which activates the dorsal striatum. It is curious that the brain uses the same area if a person uses drugs and becomes dependent on them. However, we definitely experience happiness, fear, anger and sadness more often during periods of love than during calm periods - which means that love should perhaps be considered the sum of emotions, desires and impulses.

Icons: Pham Thi Dieu Linh

Brain diseases

The brain is an organ like all others in the human body, which means it is also susceptible to various diseases. The list of such diseases is quite extensive.

It will be easier to consider it if you divide them into several groups:

Viral diseases . The most common of these are viral encephalitis (muscle weakness, severe drowsiness, coma, confusion and difficulty thinking in general), encephalomyelitis (fever, vomiting, loss of coordination and motor skills of the limbs, dizziness, loss of consciousness), meningitis (high temperature, general weakness, vomiting), etc.
Tumor diseases . Their number is also quite large, although not all of them are malignant. Any tumor appears as the final stage of a failure in cell production. Instead of the usual death and subsequent replacement, the cell begins to multiply, filling all the space free from healthy tissue. Symptoms of tumors include headaches and seizures. Their presence can also be easily determined by hallucinations from various receptors, confusion and problems with speech.
Neurodegenerative diseases . By general definition, these are also disturbances in the life cycle of cells in different parts of the brain. Thus, Alzheimer's disease is described as impaired conduction of nerve cells, which leads to memory loss. Huntington's disease, in turn, is the result of atrophy of the cerebral cortex. There are other options. The general symptoms are as follows: problems with memory, thinking, gait and motor skills, the presence of convulsions, tremors, spasms or pain. Also read our article about the difference between seizures and tremors.
Vascular diseases are also quite different, although, in essence, they come down to disturbances in the structure of blood vessels. So, an aneurysm is nothing more than a protrusion of the wall of a certain vessel - which does not make it any less dangerous. Atherosclerosis is a narrowing of blood vessels in the brain, but vascular dementia is characterized by their complete destruction.

16.08.2021