The limbic system, also known as the emotional brain, is thought to have developed out of the first brain, in the expression of intimate behaviors and emotions, hunger, and aggression. The limbic system in humans is located in the approximate center of the brain. When information enters the limbic system, we experience bodily sensations, transmitted by chemical information substances in the form of a reaction to the stimulus with much more awareness of what is happening than at the level of the first brain. The limbic system stores every experience we have from the first moments of life--impressions are stored in these areas long before we acquire the verbal or higher thinking abilities to put them into words. It is this vast warehouse of feelings and impressions that provides a context or meaning for those memories, which helps us to learn from past experiences. The following figure shows the limbic system:

The limbic system consists of the following parts:

• Amygdala: The "security guard"--the amygdala is like warning system, with the motto "safety first". When facing a threat to your survival the amygdala makes very fast evaluations (though, not always accurate ones as she doesn't consult the executive brain- the neocortex) and has a fast track from the thalamus (incoming information) through to the hypothalamus that can initiate a stress response to the threat. To your amygdala--you facing a lion in the wilderness or facing your boss with that look that they're going to fire you--is the same stimulus, it's always a threat.

• Hypothalamus: The "management representative"--the hypothalamus affects body temperature, appetite, water balance, pituitary secretions, emotions, and autonomic functions including cycles of waking and sleeping.

• Hippocampus: The memory--the hippocampus plays the role of encoding events in time and space and consolidating them from the short-term to long-term memory.

• Thalamus: The "entrance way"--the thalamus is involved with sensory signals sent to the forebrain, in particular the cerebral cortex. And, it also participates in motor control and regulating cortex excitement.

• Basal ganglia: The "habits"--the basal ganglia consist of structures involved in motor processes. The basal ganglia works along with the motor areas of the cortex and cerebellum for planning and coordinating certain voluntary movements.

• Cingulate gyrus: The "secretary"--the cingulate gyrus helps regulate emotions and pain. The cingulate gyrus directly drives the body's conscious response to unpleasant experiences. In addition, it is involved in fear and the prediction and avoidance of negative consequences and can help orient the body away from negative stimuli.

The limbic system or emotional brain helps us know what to approach and what to avoid by guiding our preferences. As we move through life and have more experiences, we have stronger intuitions, hunches, and gut reactions because more things are stored in the limbic warehouse. Intuition is emotional learning gained over many years--as we mature, we accumulate more reliable emotional data that can offer us valuable clues and guide our behavior, providing we become aware of its existence and learn how to interpret it. Unfortunately, many adults have been taught to ignore this type of information.

Learning to avoid negative consequences is an important feature of memory. Of particular interest is the case where the limbic system gets the cues wrong--where there is no actual danger, but the body is thrown into the stress response anyway. From chronic low-grade stress to full-blown panic attacks, a maladaptive limbic system may be the key to what is troubling you.