The amygdala.
The part of the brain that controls fear. Extreme fear.
How I wish the bigger cerebrum could take control of the amygdala. But then I knew it could not.
As much as I tried to rationalize my fear, still I could not shake it off. I know this is a phobia. A very valid one.
I am a Bio student. A hustler of all things natural. A nature lover. I know what to do with snakes – in theory. I know not to be afraid of them. I know what to do when I encounter one.
But the cerebrum, for all its largeness and convolutions, is still defeated by the midget amygdala. I freeze on the site of a snake. My senses now know how to appreaciate them. Their color and patterns. Their uniqueness. But my pulse would still race. Sweat would still pour. Breathing would still pant. And I am frozen on the spot with the next step my running away from the source of it all – a very illogical thing to do because the snake is also afraid of me!
Sigh. How I wish I could overcome this. I love nature tripping but my phobia keeps getting in the way. Tsk. Tsk.
How I wish the cerebrum could take control of the amygdala. Much as I wish for it to control the hypothalamus.
