Part 4/13:
Hippocampus: Involved in contextual memory, helping differentiate between actual threats and safe environments.
Prefrontal Cortex: Engages in top-down control, allowing rational thought, narrative building, and regulation of fear responses. It helps reinterpret or suppress reflexive reactions, attaching meaning and purpose to stimuli.
Autonomic Nervous System and the HPA Axis
Fear responses are linked closely to the autonomic nervous system, which has two branches:
The sympathetic nervous system: Responsible for alertness ("fight or flight").
The parasympathetic nervous system: Facilitates calming and recovery.