Emotional Processing
Discover how your brain creates feelings, processes emotional signals, and shapes your experience of the world.
01 / Core System
The emotional brain network that generates feelings and drives behavior.
The brain's threat detector and emotional processor. Triggers fear responses and evaluates emotional significance.
The pleasure and reward center. Releases dopamine during enjoyable experiences, driving motivation.
Regulates emotional responses through hormone release, connecting mind and body.
Connects emotions to memories, giving experiences their emotional color and context.
02 / Basic Emotions
Cross-cultural research by Paul Ekman identified six emotions recognized worldwide.
Associated with reward, achievement, and social connection
Processed in the anterior cingulate and related to loss
Rapid amygdala response to threats, preparing for action
Linked to frustration and perceived violations
Response to unexpected events, orienting attention
Protective response to contamination or moral violations
03 / Response
When the amygdala detects a threat, it triggers an automatic survival response within milliseconds—before conscious thought.
Amygdala detects threat pattern
Hypothalamus activates HPA axis
Adrenaline and cortisol released
Body prepared for action
04 / Regulation
The prefrontal cortex helps manage and modulate emotional responses.
Activates the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing stress hormones
Reinterpreting situations to change emotional response
Reduces cortisol and increases endorphins
Allows emotional processing and resets stress systems
Discover how feelings influence the choices we make.