«These results demonstrate that
pain responses can be
shaped by learning that takes place outside conscious awareness, suggesting that unconscious learning may have an extensive effect on higher cognitive processes in general,» says Karin Jensen.
As bad as being peeved feels, it's actually a protective
response to what usually starts out as fear or
pain, explains Veronica Rojas, MD, a psychiatrist and co-founder of the Mindfulness Forum of Ridgewood in Ridgewood, N.J.. Before you can even make sense of a threat, your amygdala, the almond -
shaped emotion center of the brain, triggers a release of adrenaline and other stress hormones.