Deutsch: Amygdala / Mandelkern / Español: Amígdala / Português: Amígdala / Français: Amygdale / Italiano: Amigdala
Amygdale (commonly spelled amygdala in English) in the psychology context refers to a small, almond-shaped cluster of nuclei located deep within the temporal lobes of the brain. It plays a central role in emotional processing—especially fear, threat detection, emotional memory, and social responses.
The amygdala is part of the limbic system and acts as a key emotional switchboard, quickly evaluating incoming stimuli and triggering bodily and behavioral responses, often before conscious awareness kicks in.
General Description
The amygdala is best known for its involvement in fight, flight, or freeze responses. When we perceive danger, it rapidly activates physiological responses (e.g., increased heart rate, muscle tension) through connections with the hypothalamus and brainstem.
Beyond fear, the amygdala also contributes to:
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Emotional memory encoding (especially traumatic memories)
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Facial expression recognition and reading social cues
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Attachment and bonding processes
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Emotional coloring of experiences, influencing perception and decision-making
Hyperactivity in the amygdala has been linked to:
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Anxiety disorders
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PTSD
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Panic attacks
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Hypervigilance
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Emotional dysregulation
Hypoactivity, on the other hand, may be associated with:
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Psychopathy or callous-unemotional traits
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Emotional blunting or flat affect
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Certain types of dissociation
Therapies that target the amygdala often focus on calming overactive fear responses and creating new, regulated emotional pathways through both cognitive and somatic work.
Recommendations
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Use grounding techniques to reduce amygdala overactivation during distress
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Practice mindfulness to build awareness between stimulus and response
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Incorporate breathwork or vagal toning to calm the autonomic nervous system
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Develop emotional vocabulary and labeling to help modulate limbic activity
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Use bilateral stimulation (e.g., EMDR) to reprocess traumatic emotional memories
Symptoms, Therapy and Healing
Signs of amygdala dysregulation:
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Overreactive fear or anger responses
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Emotional flashbacks or trauma triggers
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Startle responses to benign stimuli
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Difficulty calming down after activation
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Numbness or lack of fear in risky situations (in underactive cases)
Therapeutic approaches:
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Trauma-focused therapies (e.g., EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy)
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Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
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Neurofeedback to train emotional regulation
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Polyvagal-informed therapy
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Exposure therapy to reduce conditioned fear responses
Healing potential: The amygdala is neuroplastic and can be retrained. Through repeated experiences of safety, attunement, and emotional integration, clients can learn to recognize emotional cues without being overwhelmed. Healing involves both calming reactivity and fostering emotional richness and responsiveness.
Related Terms
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Limbic system
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Fear conditioning
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Emotional regulation
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PTSD
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Autonomic nervous system
Summary
Amygdale refers to the brain’s emotional processing hub, especially related to fear and threat detection. In psychology, it is central to trauma, anxiety, and emotional reactivity. Through awareness, therapy, and nervous system regulation, individuals can heal patterns of over- or underactivation and foster greater emotional balance.
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