amygdala (Greek for “almond”) specializes in handling intense and stressful emotions—fear, anger, anxiety, phobias of all types. People whose amygdalae are destroyed are left literally fearless, and often cannot even recognize fear in others. The amygdala grows particularly lively when we are asleep, and thus may account for why our dreams are so often disturbing. Your nightmares may simply be the amygdalae unburdening themselves.*2
