Thread: Try This !!! Activate the Amygdala Nuclei in the Medial Temporal Lobes of Your Brain

Originally Posted by RationalMystic

Ok I tried this again a while back and while I don't think I've quite succeeded in "clicking" yet (I'm awful at tactile visualisation and visualisation in general...), that strange feeling came back again onky stronger this time. I think I can finally articulate the sensation better. It felt kind of like how a crush feels with a warmth that seemed to emenate in my torso and the stomach. It was a feeling that was somehow sexual without being actually sexual. I think I also felt that tension Omnis Dei was eluding to, as if I was dipping my head in a deep well. I think I have to calm my thoughts a bit before my next attempt as my mental vocalising is distracting me from the visualisation. Since I don't actually have a feather with me what I'm doing is lightly brushing my index finger against my cheek untill I get a strong tickle sensation. Then I assign that tickle feeling to the imaginary feather I'm brushing my amygdala with. I think this is a decent improvisation.

You may be making this harder than it is, just try using your imagination rather than creating a strong visualisation. Your improvisation sounds good. I have found from experience if I get the tickling sensation just right then the results are the most powerful. The tickling technique is just one of many that Lingo and Slade experimented with. They found that it was the best universal technique for amygdala 'clicking'.

I know that meditation has been shown to change activation of different regions of the brain, such as the amygdala and frontal lobes, but when people are meditating, they aren't imagining tickling sensation on the brain. Did they ever conduct fMRI on someone doing this task to verify that its actually doing what it claims? It would be very simple to do and would help clear up a lot of skepticism. To me this idea of "activating your own brain" seems unfounded, and you can't really conclude that because meditation causes certain brain activations, imagining you're tickling your brain causes the same activation. They're two entirely different activities.

I tried it. And it worked. I was laughing, almost uncontrollably, and felt a warm, fuzzy feeling like I just heard a hilarious joke. It was probably the most sincere laughter I've ever felt, not that fake giggle you do when someone tells a joke that's not really funny but you want to laugh so it's not awkward. It was kind of weird. :/

Originally Posted by Taffy

I tried it. And it worked. I was laughing, almost uncontrollably, and felt a warm, fuzzy feeling like I just heard a hilarious joke. It was probably the most sincere laughter I've ever felt, not that fake giggle you do when someone tells a joke that's not really funny but you want to laugh so it's not awkward. It was kind of weird. :/

Amazing isn't it!

Originally Posted by mcwillis

Amazing isn't it!

Sure is. I was kind of folliwing along as I read the instructions, so when it happened I was like "h-huh?" Then I read on and you said I should feel exactly how I felt. >w<

Can anyone confirm if the sensation is like ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response)? This feels like lots of intense bubbles are erupting and fizzing over the somatosensory cortex. And it feels amazing - You could say, in a way, it's like a 'brain orgasm'. This is very real, and very intense, and yet as far as I'm aware, no scientific studies exist on this phenomenon. Project anyone? ^_^

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This the same or what?

Originally Posted by Wolfwood

Can anyone confirm if the sensation is like ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response)? This feels like lots of intense bubbles are erupting and fizzing over the somatosensory cortex. And it feels amazing - You could say, in a way, it's like a 'brain orgasm'. This is very real, and very intense, and yet as far as I'm aware, no scientific studies exist on this phenomenon. Project anyone? ^_^

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This the same or what?

Funny you should post this. This sounds 100% like what I described on the last page. May not be this amygdala tickling everyone is talking about, but it's neat to be able to put a name to what I feel. Even some of the triggers match up, though now I can trigger it on my own sometimes.

It's not the same. I know what you're talking about and I actually get that alot, though I have no idea why. It seems that sensation is often caused by watching really epic scenes in movies and stuff though. Like a brain tingling. This amygdala thing is like a surge of happiness more than a pleasurable tingle. It makes you want to laugh, rather than making your scalp hair stand on end.

Man I'm finding it really difficult to get consistent results with this and I still haven't accomplish the "click" yet. I recall mention of alternate techniques from you mcwillis, care to share please?

Do any of you have mirror-touch synaesthesia? Quite a few people do, but aren't aware it's not normal. If I watch someone being stabbed or cut in a particular region, I feel a somewhat diminished response in the corresponding area on my body. Without an external stimulus evoking that, it can also be effected by strong 'visualisation' of a physical sensation in a particular area. I'm wondering if the people this works for, possibly have this, and the ones it doesn't, do not.

It's clear if you do - watching any films with intense, physical body reactions, e.g. fighting, car crashes, visceral murders will have a sort of added realism to 'em.

I'll give this a go based on the above. Strongly visualising a tickling sensation should effect that sensation, especially if you've mirror-touch synaesthesia.

I don't think its necessary to have mirror-touch synaesthesia in order to be able to utilize the imagination for a real effect on the body. As I explained previously, we don't need an attractive, naked person to exist in reality in order to get an erection. The body is unable to tell the difference between imagination and reality, whether or not someone has mirror-touch synaesthesia.

But in answer to your question, no. I have intense empathy but not to the extent of MTS. If I had MTS I wouldn't be able to watch nearly as many violent movies as I do.

Fair point about the imagined woman and erection.

So far this is difficult, I assume, because it's difficult to readily visualise this area, and to imagine 'truly' the sensation of a tickling feather. I will give it the benefit of the doubt and look at some diagrams, and I'll tickle myself with a real feather to facilitate my attempt.

That may help, at this point it would be difficult for me to walk you through the process because I've reached unconscious competence. But I'll try to break it down.

The tickle sensation is meant to create an extremely light, soft sort of tingle. It is meant to direct focus on the amygdala in a soft way. I don't know the proper terminology to use, because while what we are actually doing is stimulating the amygdala to activate the frontal lobes, it feels more like opening a valve and allowing warmth to flow into the frontal lobes. But this feeling isn't forced. It almost seems like they're constipated, and we are relaxing them. Finding them in your brain can be helpful. It may be helpful to relax and be aware of the brain for several minutes. When aware of the brain, one becomes aware of all sorts of typically automatic functions that we actually have control over.

What side did you have success with?

Originally Posted by Wolfwood

What side did you have success with?

It was the right side for me.

Ok, this is rather bizarre, indeed. I'm not getting any sense of happiness or pleasure, but visualising the tickling sensation makes me repeatedly yawn. This is apparently a sign of 'activation'.

I don't know what's going on or what to believe, but one thing is certain so far... I can make myself yawn repeatedly through visualisation.

Edit: lol this phenomenon alone is mental, I've yawned about 30 times now. As soon as I think about it, it happens. Interesting....

I first had success with my right side but now I can do either.

I don't know what to tell you wolfwood, keep experimenting.

can anyone help me with this,
i can't get the feeling that i activated it.

(a picture would be nice showing where the amygdala is from the outside of the head)

how do u guys activating it and locating it?
i read that you need to put your thumb in your ear and your middle finger in the inner eye corner, and where your index finger is is your amygdala but when i do it my index finger is really far from the amygdala

Strange, I have no clue how I could possibly trigger that tingle, but I can easily trigger pleasure by tickling my amygdala.

Be careful guys, if you're actually activating pleasure pathways in your brain by mental thought alone, overstimulation of this region may have addictive properties (which can cause a whole host of other problems). Activities that cause an easy release in dopamine tend to be activities that have the highest danger of addiction, such as video gaming, junk food, sex, gambling, cigarettes.

You will find if you attempt to over-stimulate the amygdala, the return depreciates. This, I noticed rather quickly. I mostly use it just in the morning to jump-start my good mood. But if you don't want the return to depreciate, you have to perform activities which stimulate your frontal lobes more such as doing something creative, intelligent or empathetic.

By stimulating the frontal lobes, you are performing something evolutionarily beneficial. You are making yourself a more fit organism, and what you receive from that is a reward to positively reinforce the behavior. The stimulation of the frontal lobe is not purely to make you feel pleasure, it's to make your frontal lobe more active and to put more focus on it. Accomplishing this, you receive a genetically engineered reward for the behavior. Accomplishing this and then not doing anything with your frontal lobes, this reward will depreciate.

Originally Posted by Original Poster

You will find if you attempt to over-stimulate the amygdala, the return depreciates. This, I noticed rather quickly. I mostly use it just in the morning to jump-start my good mood. But if you don't want the return to depreciate, you have to perform activities which stimulate your frontal lobes more such as doing something creative, intelligent or empathetic.

By stimulating the frontal lobes, you are performing something evolutionarily beneficial. You are making yourself a more fit organism, and what you receive from that is a reward to positively reinforce the behavior. The stimulation of the frontal lobe is not purely to make you feel pleasure, it's to make your frontal lobe more active and to put more focus on it. Accomplishing this, you receive a genetically engineered reward for the behavior. Accomplishing this and then not doing anything with your frontal lobes, this reward will depreciate.

Perfectly understood- it's great to see that people have a good understanding of the process.- N.S.

This is interesting! I find myself laughing even though I'm not looking at anything funny right now. Just imagining the tickling sensation in that area makes me laugh, is this it? I've just been skimming through most of this thread so I'll have to go back and check out the research on this.

This all sounds like a unusual sensation, I think i've naturaly done stuff like this before. I'l give it a try
On a side note I might try tickle other parts of my brain to see what kind of sensations I get.

Where exactly is this area of the brain. I think id have a much better experience if i could focus on the correct spot first :p