Why You React Before You Think: The Hidden Power of Your Amygdala and Vagus Nerve

Ever gotten angry or scared and had no idea why you reacted that way? You’re not alone — there’s actually a lot happening behind the scenes in your brain when emotions take over.

The cognitive part of your brain takes longer to process than the emotional part.

The amygdala (crucial for processing emotions, particularly fear and pleasure, as well as forming emotional memories) reacts before the cortex (responsible for higher-level functions like thinking, memory, and consciousness) can. 

Where the Amygdala is located in your brain - the emotional part connected to the vagus nerve

Prefrontal cortex - responsible for executive functioning, decision making,

The Vagus nerve is connected to the amygdala.  

In fact the Vagus nerve and amygdala are sending messages back and forth before the cortex (cognitive) can higher level process.

This is why the focus is often on emotions in therapy because they can shape our long-term well-being, while cognitive tools can also be useful tools, they commonly are influenced by our more instinctive emotional patterns and so may not work for every situation.

"Feelings are not facts, but they are information" Unknown quote