This built-in system is very effective in the face of any danger, such as running from an intruder or jumping to safety. In these situations it’s a true lifesaver. But the amygdala can also get us into trouble. There are many individuals who regret their impulsive emotional response to someone else’s behavior. For instance, a teacher in Houston was caught on tape beating her student unmercifully for his bad behavior. She had obviously lost touch with her frontal lobe, and her amygdala was out of control.
Our emotions are registered in the amygdala before we are conscious of the situation. Think about the last time you were incensed about something; that emotion began so quickly you were not even aware that it was happening. A positive emotion, such as a smile from a baby or loved one, generates an automatic smile in most cases, unless you are Mr. Grump. Studies indicate that an emotional feeling occurs within milliseconds, and it takes 10-15 seconds before it begins to subside (Ekman, 2003).
Psychologist Paul Ekman, author of Emotions Revealed, has traveled internationally and in the United States studying emotions for over 40 years. He states “emotions are universal across cultures” (p. 58). He indicates that there are seven basic emotions: sadness, anger, surprise, fear, disgust, contempt, and happiness. Ekman goes on to say that these emotions are experienced in anticipation of something sensed to be either right or wrong (2003).
In response to each emotion, we have a specific chemical reaction that corresponds to that feeling. For example, we have different types of tears—tears of sadness and tears of joy. We also have tears that come from irritants like onions and tears that moisten our eyes. Dr. William Frey, a biochemist at the St. Paul-Ramsey Medical Center in Minnesota, performed studies analyzing tears. He and his team looked at emotional tears from a negatively charged stressful encounter and compared them to tears from irritants. His findings revealed that emotional tears contained a higher concentration of protein-based hormones: prolactin (lactating hormone), adrenocorticotropic hormone (stress hormone), and leucine enkephalin (natural painkiller) (Skorucak, 2010). Other studies show that tears that moisten the eyes contain lysozyme, a chemical which washes away bacteria. Tears not only relieve pain and stress, but also kill little critters.
The body produces many other types of chemicals and hormones. Many of us are familiar with the runner’s high, that feeling of euphoria after exercising. This is produced by the natural chemicals called endorphins. Or perhaps you’ve sprained your ankle and are in pain; the body produces natural painkillers known as enkephalin, which are similar to the narcotic morphine—working on the nervous system to inhibit pain.
We produce many hormones and neurotransmitters which communicate how we are feeling: chemicals such as serotonin, which regulates mood; epinephrine, a form of adrenaline which involves the stress response; dopamine, which causes pleasure; glutamate, which excites nerve cells to fire; and GABA, which inhibits the nerve cells. Scientists have identified approximately 70 chemicals that the body manufactures, and they believe that there are many more waiting to be discovered (Norden, 2007d).
Thoughts
We have looked at our nerve cells and have seen that we have 100 billion trees making 100 trillion connections. These are the building blocks for the brain. It is here on these trees that electrical impulses are produced and chemicals are made which cause thoughts to become permanent, store memories, and produce emotions that can be relived.
But what about our thoughts; where do they come from? What generates that initial thought? You know the kind of thought that comes out of the blue when you are just relaxing and something just pops into your head. You may have had an ingenious thought that moved your career into a new and exciting direction. And you wonder: where did that come from? Well, where does it come from? In search of the answer to this question, I spoke with three leading neuroscientists, and the answer to this question was quick and short. “We don’t know!” Science has not been able to figure this one out. But what we do know is that information comes from the outside world through our five senses, which give us cues and activate previous memories. However, that initial thought, which just appears in the mind, we don’t know.
Trying to answer this question is like trying to discuss how God created the universe. We see the evidence, but we don’t know how He did it, except that He said, “Let there be” and of course there it was. Science cannot explain the origin of our thoughts; however, Scripture gives us a little insight. In Deuteronomy 29:29, God says: “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God.” This just sums it up. Some things we will never know this side of heaven. However, we do have hints.
Throughout Scripture we see information regarding the mind, what it does, and its capacities. For instance in Proverbs 23:7, we read: “For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” The word “heart” has several connotations—the mind, emotions, and the physical heart (Strong, 1995). This text is referring to the thinking part of the brain (frontal lobe), the emotions aspect (limbic system), and the physical heart. It is our thoughts and feelings that make us who we are.
When we look back at the anatomy of the nerve cell, we see a biological process, electrical current, and chemical reactions. It has only been within the last few decades that science has been able to demonstrate what Scripture said thousands of years ago. We now have scientific proof that by beholding and thinking we become changed. When we think, information travels on our nerve cells, and then branches out to other cells. Thoughts dwelled upon leave indelible impressions that become memories and are stored in the mind. What an incredible and awesome gift!
This brings to mind another question: why do we have a brain? As a reader you might think, “That’s a silly question. We have a brain to think, talk, walk, and do what a brain does.” Yes this is true, but I believe that there is a higher calling, a higher level that transcends this. We were created in the image of God, made in His likeness; “For in Him we live, and move, and have our entire being” (Acts 17:28). When we look around, no other mammal has been given this incredible gift that God has given to man, the human brain.
It is only with the human brain that we are capable of experiencing an array of emotions, acquiring knowledge, and expressing and exchanging ideas. It is with the brain that our most precious memories have been vaulted and can be summoned at command. This is what we do in the mental realm, but we are also spiritual beings and have a higher calling which is spiritual in nature. The human brain was given so that we could connect and communicate with our Creator God. It is with the human brain that our humanity meets with Divinity, and when surrendered to Him, He writes His thoughts upon the nerve cells of our mind. What an exalted privilege.
Take the Challenge
Allow Him, the Creator God, to transcribe His thoughts, emotions, and character on the pathways of your nerve cells. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).
3
Emotional Hijacking
We’ve all heard of hijacking. It’s a hostile takeover of something that is not rightfully yours. And for those taken hostage, it can be a rather nerve-wracking experience—no pun intended—but this is exactly where the takeover begins, on the nerve cells. Traveling at speeds faster than the blink of an eye, leaping over billions of live wires are electrical chemical impulses. These impulses transmit an infinite amount of information regarding the status of the brain and body, one of which is our emotional state. Our thoughts are housed on the nerve cells. It is our thoughts that produce emotions and our emotions generate our actions, which lead to behaviors. In this chapter we will look at factors that can lead to emotional hijackings.
Emotions and Behavior: Anatomy of a Hijacking
Most of us are able to keep our emotions in check. Take anger, for instance. We all get angry from time to time; however, for the most part we have learned to suppress the desire to act out what we are feeling. As a general rule we are in control, but under the right conditions we all will lose it. Let me tell you about something that I witnessed.