Emotions - Old brain/New brain

Sometimes emotions can blend with each other to create a third emotion--rather how you would blend blue and yellow to get green.

Anger and digust can blend to create a sense of contempt.  Anger and shame can blend to create a sense of jealousy or envy.  Shame and sadness can combine to form a sense of despair and powerlessness; and so on.

I asked in the beginning of this section about emotions: Who needs them?  I hope by breaking down some of the primary emotions into what they are, how they are generated, and what they do for us; to understand the really important part emotions play.  Emotions serve as an almost subconcious feedback loop, providing with us with important imformation to help guide us in navigating life.

Why then, have emotions become so overwhelming and problematic for some of us--to the point where we don't trust our emotions or attempt avoid them entirely?

I have the hunch that sometimes our brains work against us.

I need to emphasize that I am not an expert in any field to do with the brain.  I am simply, the occasionally proud owner of one.  Additionally, I am very excited about the new imaging and mapping technologies which daily add to what we know about the brain.  It's an exciting time for brains and their owners.

 First, let's take a look:

The image above shows the "old brain", generally speaking (the limbic brain).  The pink/grey material surrounding this older section of the brain is our cerebral cortex (cerebrum) the "newer brain".

My hunch about where things may go "wrong" is the interaction of the old brain with the new brain.

To be continued...