Did you know that the amygdala - the main site in the brain - plays
the most active role in processing emotions?
Daniel Goleman, the author of Emotional Intelligence, says "... amygdala arousal
seems to imprint in memory most moments of emotional arousal with an added
degree of strength. The more intense the amygdala arousal, the stronger
imprint; the experiences that scare or thrill us the most in life are among our
most indelible memories."
My recent wonderful, well-loved and well-feted tour around parts of Europe
aroused my amygdala and put my emotions onoverdrive when I was there. Those
four frabjous months of travelling kept evoking memories when I was most happy,
ages ago in England, training to be a music teacher, and on summer holidays,
hitch-hiking around Ireland and travelling on a shoe-string all over the
Continent. That arousal of my amygdala did not allow deeply-rooted unpleasant
experiences to re-surface at all.
However, after coming home, I found not only ennui stalking me, but the arousal
of my amygdala which only uprooted deeply-embedded, traumatic experiences and
not the euphoric ones. I was suddenly swept with a mix of dread, loathing and
regret. Fortunately, I have the love of loved ones and friends, and my writings
to keep me strong and confident.
ltbs
He who has the most friends and the fewest enemies is the strongest.
Lord Chesterfield
