Breathing, a simple and involuntary movement that keeps people like you and me alive. It’s a part of our everyday lives that nourishes our body system and helps us function, confirmed by studies worldwide that enhance other locations. In the brain, there are different sections that help your body perform; one of them is the Amygdala which is the sensory processing part of the brain. Additionally, it’s also close to the Hippocampus, responsible for making and storing memories in your brain. Researchers have discovered a significant connection between the two that will start groundbreaking research in the years to come.
Based on several studies conducted, scientists found that breathing can enhance your memory and your emotional judgment. However, there is a difference in effects depending on whether you breathe with your nose or mouth. According to “Rhythm of Breathing Affects Memory and Fear,” written by NeuroscienceNews.com, it explained how scientists like Christiana Zelano (assistant professor at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine) conducted an experiment where they gave 60 participants emotional expressions in a lab and tested them to see how quickly they can indicate the term. Scientists found that when participants inhaled after seeing a face, they were quicker to decide it was a fearful expression than when they exhaled. However, the effects decreased when the participants were breathing with their mouths. Concluding, how those who inhaled when examining the emotion could see the impact.
Additionally, another study from “Rhythm of Breathing Affects Memory and Fear,” written by NeuroscienceNews.com, was conducted by Northwestern Medicine scientists, where they would show participants items on a screen for them to remember. And studies show that those who inhaled while memorizing the images found that the recall was efficient. Henceforth, these two studies have proven that inhaling can prove to have a significant impact on your brain.
With these findings, scientists have confirmed that they can be helpful in several situations, such as a meditation session or in a scary situation. After a series of tests, Christina Zelano concludes that “there is a dramatic difference in brain activity in the Amygdala and Hippocampus during inhalation compared with exhalation…When you breathe in, we discovered you are stimulating neurons in the olfactory cortex, Amygdala, and Hippocampus, all across the limbic system.” (Jay Gottfried)
Elissa Delgado
Gottfried, Jay. “Rhythm of Breathing Affects Memory and Fear.” Neuroscience News, 13 June 2020, https://neurosciencenews.com/memory-fear-breathing-5699/.
NEUROSCIENTIFICALLY CHALLENGED, 2019,
https://neuroscientificallychallenged.com/posts/know-your-brain-amygdala.
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