HOW EMOTIONAL BRAIN WORKS ...

Back to "WHAT IS EQ" | Anatomy of emotional brain

Visual signal first goes from the retina (eye or sometimes ear) to the thalamus where it is translated into the language of the brain. Most of the message then goes to the visual cortex, where it is analyzed and assessed for meaning and appropriate response; if that response is emotional, a signal goes to the amygdala.

The discovery overthrows the notion that the amygdala must depend entirely on signals from the neocortex to formulate its emotional reactions. The amygdala can trigger an emotional response via this emergency route even as a parallel reverberating circuit begins between the amygdala and neocortex. The amygdala can have us spring to action while the slightly slow - but more fully informed - neocortex unfolds its more refined plan for reaction.

The amygdala can house memories and response repertoires that we enact without quite realizing why we do so because the shortcut from thalamus to amygdala completely bypasses the neocortex. This bypass seems to allow the amygdala to be a repository for emotional impressions and memories that we have never known about in full awareness.

The hippocampus and the amygdala are the two key parts of memory brain. In memory the amygdala and hippocampus work hand-in- hand; each stores and retrieves its special information independently. While the hippocampus retrieves information , the amygdala determines if that information has any emotional valence. As LeDoux said " The hippocampus is crucial in recognizing the face as that of your cousin. But it is the amygdala that adds you don’t really like her!

To summarize we have two brains, and two different kinds of intelligence: Rational (IQ) and Emotional (EQ). How we do in life is determined by both. It is not just IQ, but emotional intelligence (EQ) that matters our life as well. Intellect cannot work at its best without emotional intelligence.

In children, the neural pathways mentioned above are in relatively immature form.Once these circuits get matured through a process called as Hardwiring, Emotional intelligence of child is raised (i.e.)There is more rationality to child’s thoughts, actions & behavior.This 'hardwiring' can be done by teaching child various Emotional skills through play-methods, games,roleplays, activities, audiovisuals, stories etc.