What is the physiological mechanism of emotion regulation?

The current academic consensus is that the core physiological mechanism of emotion regulation is the cognitive regulatory network with the prefrontal cortex as the core, which accurately regulates the amygdala, insula and other limbic systems responsible for emotion generation, and coordinates with the autonomic nervous system and neuroendocrine system to complete full-dimensional physiological state adjustment.

Have many people had this experience? I was scolded in the face by a client or boss at work, and blood rushed to my head. I clenched my fists and wanted to slam the table and leave. But then I thought that this month’s mortgage has not been repaid, and the project in hand is about to be completed. After taking a deep breath, I could still laugh and say, "I appreciate your opinion." "Adjust now." In just a few seconds of emotional restraint, the prefrontal cortex is working quickly - the dorsolateral prefrontal lobe first adjusts your understanding of the real situation, and the ventromedial prefrontal lobe simultaneously suppresses the overactivation of the amygdala, suppressing the anger that has emerged. If you go for a functional MRI to scan this process, you can clearly see that the anterior cingulate cortex acts as a "coordinator" in the middle, judging whether the current emotional intensity needs to be regulated or not, and sending signals to both sides to ensure that the intensity of regulation is just right, so as not to cause internal injuries due to excessive pressure, and not to cause stiffness if the pressure is not suppressed.

However, this is not completely uncontroversial. Many studies have now proposed that the physiological mechanism of emotion regulation cannot be simply equated with "prefrontal lobe inhibition of the limbic system." For example, if you watch a funny video and deliberately laugh out loud to share with friends, or deliberately mobilize your own excitement before a game, the emotion regulation at this time will actually increase the activation level of the limbic system, which is not the logic of suppression at all.； Some scholars who work on children's emotional development have found that children before the age of three have not yet developed their prefrontal lobes, and they can calm their emotions by throwing themselves into adults' arms, acting coquettishly, or biting a soothing towel. Obviously, the physiological basis of this part of regulation is different from adults' cognitive regulation.

In addition to these regulatory pathways in the brain, the heartbeat and breathing changes that we can intuitively feel are also important components of the physiological mechanism of emotion regulation. Just like when you are so nervous that your heart is pounding when you are taking a second-term exam, you follow the method described on the Internet and do 478 breathing, inhale for 4 seconds and hold for 7 seconds and exhale for 8 seconds. Your heartbeat slows down in less than half a minute. This is actually your active adjustment behavior that activates the parasympathetic nervous system and brings back the originally full sympathetic nervous system. At the same time, the secretion of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline is slowly reduced, and the whole person's state is stabilized.

There is also a group of scholars who work on embodied cognition who have always disagreed with the idea of ​​"central regulation taking precedence." Their experiments have found that even if you are not aware that you are regulating emotions at all, just deliberately spreading your frown and making a smiling expression can quickly reduce anxiety. At this time, peripheral signals from the facial muscles are first transmitted to the brain, and then drive changes in emotion-related brain areas, which is equivalent to moving the starting point of regulation from the brain to the body. The experimental evidence of both groups is now very sufficient, and there is no unified conclusion. Many of the emotion regulation methods we are exposed to on a daily basis, whether it is emotion recording in cognitive behavioral therapy or body scanning in mindfulness, are essentially training along these physiological mechanisms. Many clients who have persisted in mindfulness practice for more than half a year will experience a stressful event. The peak activation of the amygdala is nearly 30% lower than before the practice, which is equivalent to installing a practical cushion for emotional responses.