We know our emotions by their intrusions (welcome or otherwise) into our conscious minds.  Understanding emotion in the human brain is clearly an important quest, as most mental disorders are emotional disorders. Emotions become powerful motivators of future behaviors.  Mental health is maintained by emotional hygiene and mental problems, and to a large extent reflect a breakdown of emotional order.

Joseph LeDoux , Ph.D., is one of the top world experts on emotional memory. His work, especially on fear, has given us insight into the biological mechanisms of learning about and storing information about danger. This understanding of the role of the amygdala in conscious and subconscious memory and the role of cognition in regulating the fear reaction is both complex and exciting. Dr. LeDoux is the Henry and Lucy Moses Professor of Science and Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at New York University. He is also the director of the Center for the Neuroscience of Fear and Anxiety … and a singer and guitarist in the science-themed rock band; The Amygdaloids!