You’re arguing with someone and, suddenly, you say something you can’t even believe yourself. Or you freeze in the middle of an important presentation. Afterwards you think: “What just happened to me?” In those moments, it feels like your body is acting on its own, without asking permission from your reason. That phenomenon has a name: amygdala hijack.
The amygdala: the brain’s internal alarm
The amygdala is a small almond-shaped structure deep in your brain, within the limbic system. Its function is to detect possible threats and trigger emotional responses quickly. It’s like a security guard always on alert, ready to put you in defense mode even before you’re aware of what’s happening.
This speed has a purpose: the amygdala can fire off a reaction in milliseconds, long before the more rational part of the brain, the prefrontal cortex, can evaluate the situation. This was crucial for our ancestors’ survival, but today it sometimes backfires.
What is an amygdala hijack about?
Psychologist Daniel Goleman popularized this concept in the 1990s to describe what happens when the amygdala takes control and overrides rational decision-making. When it happens, we react impulsively, driven by the emotion of the moment.
In an amygdala hijack, the body prepares to fight, flee, or freeze. The heart races, breathing quickens, muscles tense, and the mind focuses only on the ‘threat.’ The problem is that in modern life, the “threat” usually isn’t a lion, but a comment, an email, or a gesture.
For example…
Imagine someone cuts you off in traffic and, without thinking, you yell at them from your car. Or in an important meeting, your mind goes blank. In those moments, the amygdala has “pulled the plug” on your prefrontal cortex and activated a primitive response: fight, flight, or freeze. In other words, your amygdala has interpreted that you’re in danger—even if the risk is more emotional than physical.
Why does it happen?
From an evolutionary perspective, this reaction was essential for survival in dangerous environments. Our brain developed a shortcut: allowing the amygdala to react even before we consciously process the information.
When you perceive something through your senses, the information first reaches the thalamus, which acts as a relay center. From there, it can take two routes:
Fast route
Goes directly to the amygdala.
Instant but imprecise.
Slow route
Passes through the prefrontal cortex,
which analyzes the information
and decides what to do.
The amygdala hijack happens when the fast route prevails. This ensures speed, but increases the risk of overreacting or reacting incorrectly. A functional MRI study by Whalen et al. (1998), published in The Journal of Neuroscience, showed that the amygdala activates even in response to fearful facial expressions shown for just milliseconds—too quickly for a person to consciously perceive them.
What science says
In 1996, neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux demonstrated that the amygdala can trigger fear responses before the cortex processes information consciously. His work revealed the existence of fast and slow pathways for emotional processing.
Functional MRI studies, such as Whalen et al. (1998), confirmed that the amygdala activates even to fear-related stimuli presented too quickly to be consciously perceived.
How to detect it and regain control?
- Rapid heartbeat and shallow breathing
- Tension in jaw, shoulders, or hands
- Sudden warmth or sweating
- Difficulty thinking clearly or remembering details
- Automatic reactions without reflection
Strategies to break free from an amygdala hijack:
Daniel Goleman, in his TED Talk “Why Aren’t We All Good Samaritans?”: https://www.ted.com/talks/daniel_goleman_on_compassion , suggests simple strategies such as deep breathing and consciously pausing before responding.
- Breathe deeply: inhale slowly, hold for a few seconds, and exhale gently
- Name the emotion: recognize if it’s fear, anger, frustration…
- Step away for a moment: give your body time to calm down
- Practice mindfulness: train awareness to avoid being dragged by impulses
-
Reframe the situation: ask yourself if your response is useful or necessary
Final reflection
Understanding amygdala hijack isn’t just learning neuroscience—it’s learning to live with yourself. Next time you feel like you’re losing control, remember your brain is only trying to protect you, even if it acts like an overly nervous bodyguard. Breathe, pause, and take back control.
We can’t stop the amygdala from doing its job, but we can learn not to let it run the show.
Referencias
Goleman, D. (1995). Inteligencia emocional. Kairós.
LeDoux, J. E. (1996). The emotional brain: The mysterious underpinnings of emotional life. Simon & Schuster.
Whalen, P. J., Rauch, S. L., Etcoff, N. L., McInerney, S. C., Lee, M. B., & Jenike, M. A. (1998). Masked presentations of emotional facial expressions modulate amygdala activity without explicit knowledge. The Journal of Neuroscience, 18(1), 411–418. https://www.jneurosci.org/content/18/1/411
Sprouts. (2019). The Amygdala Hijack: How our emotions hijack our thinking [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PglaInxZfUc
TED. (2007). Daniel Goleman on compassion [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/daniel_goleman_on_compassion
Amygdala hijack