The amygdala is the parts of the brain that sets off “alarm bells.” They alert a person that something is going wrong, and send those messages to the hippocampus. Because it is the place where memories are formed, it is also the place where traumatic memories get “stuck.” When a person experiences trauma, shock takes over, and the experience is “frozen” in the hippocampus without an accurate context present is conflated with past and perceived threats can be confused with past trauma.Ī feedback loop forms when a person experiences trauma. The hippocampus plays an enormous role in the dynamics of the mind as we see it in hypnotherapy. That means, even when the hippocampus is damaged, it can be healed! Could this be the universe’s way of giving back to the hippocampus in return for the sea rescue role it played in mythology. The hippocampus is one of the few places in the human body where new neurons can be produced. The hippocampus is obviously a very important part of the brain, and it has a unique characteristic that many find surprising. Our brains have four hippocampi, two in each hemisphere of the brain, located just above each ear and the temporal lobe. Much like Poseidon is usually seen with more than one hippocampus, the human brain has more than one, too. When it works properly, memories move from the hippocampus to the cerebral cortex, where decisions can be made about what action to take and then sent on to be stored as long-term memories. The hippocampus serves as a storage area for memories as they are formed, and places new experiences into a context in relation to past experience and potential future experience. In the human brain, the seahorse-shaped hippocampus is part of the limbic system, and is therefore responsible for regulating emotions and memories. In fact, we can draw parallels between the hippocampus of the sea, and the part of the brain, which in fact, is largely responsible for the way we respond to emotions. The sea of emotions is every bit as deep and mysterious as the realm of Poseidon and the mythical hippocampus. You can read more about the hippocampus and its role in mythology here. They were considered to be good omens by all whose lives were ruled, or even touched, by the sea. They weren’t really secretive, just private. In general, these beautiful creatures were known to be trustworthy, although the particulars of their lives were not broadcast widely. Poseidon and the sea nymphs were said to send out a hippocampus to rescue drowning people. Being created from ocean waves confers upon the hippocampus the power and beauty of the sea, as well as a connection to gods such as Poseidon, and other mythical creatures, including the sea nymphs. His ulterior motive was to make these horses his loyal followers. It is said that he created horses out of the ocean waves, in an effort to create the most beautiful animal on earth. In some depictions, hippocampus power was vividly displayed as two of them pulled Poseidon’s chariot. Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, storms, and earthquakes, rode through his watery realm of waves, on the backs of these creatures. The hippocampus from which the sea horse borrows its name was a mythical creature, with the head of a horse and a tail like that of a fish. While it’s true the hippocampus of the brain is shaped like a seahorse, the seahorse we know in today’s world are not the original “hippocampus” creatures. As it turns out, the way the hippocampus got its name tells us much about what it is capable of, and what it does for us. What’s a hippocampus? Psychologists know that it’s a part of the brain, and that it got its name because it’s shaped like a seahorse.
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