The scans showed that the subgenual anterior
cingulate cortex (sgACC), an area linked to emotion,
became particularly active when participants brought the snakes closer, but not when they gave in to their fears (Neuron, DOI: 10.1016 / j.neuron.2010.06.009).
The study found that under psilocybin, activity in the more primitive brain network linked to emotional thinking
became more pronounced, with several different areas in this network — such as the hippocampus and anterior
cingulate cortex — active at the same time.