The Brain Is an Emotional Organ—Here’s what Neuroscience reveals

You’ve been taught to think emotions make you irrational. But what if, without emotions, you couldn’t think rationally at all?

This is not my philosophy, it’s actual neuroscience.

One of the world's most respected neuroscientists, famously said:

The Evolutionary Perspective

All vertebrates—animals with a brain and a spine, including us humans—evolved through sensing and feeling their environment. That means emotions aren't simply reactions; they're sophisticated intelligent mechanisms that provide evolutionary advantages which shape our biology, brains and behavior over time.

What's particularly fascinating is that the thinking part of our brain (the neocortex) is 3 million years old compared to the emotional center of the brain (limbic system) which is 300 million years old. This means, our emotional processing systems are ancient and far more fundamental compared to logic. Think of human babies, for the first few years of life, they don’t think in logic or language at all. But emotions? That’s all they have—and it’s exactly what they need to shape their brain’s development, ensure bonding, and keep them alive.

Emotion isn’t a weakness. It’s the operating system of human intelligence.

Neuroscience Insights

Recent brain imaging studies reveal how intense emotions cause neuroplastic changes to our brain structure and function. When we experience strong emotions such as anger but don't allow ourselves to feel them, our brain interprets these suppressed emotions as threats—similar to how it would respond to physical danger like a predator’s chase.

This triggers the danger signal in our brain—a chronic fight-or-flight response in the limbic system—which can manifest as various Physical symptoms like chronic pain, fatigue, digestive issues, and more.

Neuroscientists now call this "limbic system dysfunction," also known as being “stuck in survival mode”. It sounds like a scary disease yet it is very common and it is 100% reversible, thanks to neuroplasticity.

This sheds light on why emotional processing is central to healing chronic symptoms known as mind-body or neuroplastic conditions. It’s the core mechanism behind mind-body therapies that are now helping people recover from illnesses once thought incurable or only manageable with medication.

PRACTICAL CORNER: BEFRIENDING YOUR EMOTIONS

Neuroplasticity is driven by emotion—the more intense the emotion, the stronger and more lasting the neural imprint. This is why emotional experiences can shape our behavior, physiology, and health for years. They’re information-rich signals that, when met with awareness, offer insight, direction, and healing.

Today's Practice: Emotion Awareness

As you go about your day this week, try this simple but powerful practice:

• 1. Notice the moment an emotion arises.

  It could be subtle—a flash of irritation, a lump in your throat, a wave of joy.

  Pause and recognize: “I am feeling something.”

• 2. Locate it in your body.

  Where do you feel it? Chest, gut, throat?

  Don’t analyze it, just sense it.

• 3. Name it.

  “I’m feeling anger.”

  “I’m feeling fear.”

  Naming calms the limbic system and opens space between stimulus and response.

• 4. Let it speak.

  Ask: If this emotion had a voice, what would it say?

  You might be surprised what comes through.

• 5. End with compassion.

  Say to yourself: “It’s okay to feel this. I don’t have to push it away. Even if it’s uncomfortable”

You’re expanding your window of tolerance—the ability to stay present with uncomfortable emotions without being overwhelmed.

This builds both your brain’s resilience and capacity to process emotions, rather than be hijacked by them.

Remember: Emotions doesn't make you irrational—suppressed emotions do.

RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT

Dr. Antonio Damasio, the leading neuroscientist I mentioned earlier, shattered one of the biggest myths in Western thought: that reason and emotion are separate, and that rational thinking is superior.

In his research with patients who had damage to the emotional centers of their brain (especially the ventromedial prefrontal cortex), he found that when emotions were impaired, so was decision-making—even when memory, logic, and intelligence were fully intact. These patients could do math, solve puzzles but couldn’t make basic decisions like what to eat or what to do for a career.

In other words, we can’t make good decisions without emotional input.

His conclusion:

Emotions don’t cloud our judgment—they guide it. They are the foundation of reasoning, not the opposite of it.

If emotions are central to thought, and suppressed emotions disrupt the brain’s danger response, then emotional processing isn’t optional, it’s necessary for rationality, behavior change, and physical equilibrium.

READER QUESTION

Q: How do I know if my symptoms are related to suppressed emotions?

A: Physical symptoms that persist despite medical treatment, fluctuate with stress, or appear in multiple body systems often have emotional components. Notice if your symptoms worsen during emotionally challenging periods or if they temporarily improve during pleasurable activities. This pattern suggests a mind-body connection worth exploring. Remember that mind-body symptoms are very real physical experiences, recognition of their emotional roots doesn't invalidate your suffering but rather opens a path to root cause healing.

I created a free quiz to see if your symptoms are stress related (created by the brain’s danger alarm): [Click Here]

RESOURCE OF THE WEEK

Documentary Recommendation: "All the Rage" directed by Michael Galinsky and Suki Hawley, follows Dr. John Sarno's pioneering work on mind-body approaches to treating chronic pain, featuring interviews with Larry David and other hollywood stars who recovered from their debilitating chronic pain using his revolutionary mind-body approach. (Watch the film)

If you watch the documentary feel free to send me a DM and share your thoughts.

CONNECT WITH ME

Have questions or success stories to share? Reply to this email (I answer to most emails).

Thank you for reading, I hope this was insightful.

To your success and joy,

Kimia Nora