Limbic System:

Limbic system — one of several highly interconnected brain networks — is networked brain structures located near the thalamus, beneath the cerebral cortex, and above the brainstem. It’s a control center for conscious/ unconscious functions, regulating much of what the body does. It connects psychological/physiological experiences and behavioral/emotional responses. For essential-to-survival behaviors that evolved early — hunger/ thirst, reproduction/ caring for children — the limbic system activated the fight-or-flight responses (FFR) if faced with danger (fear processing in the amygdala). Research has linked the limbic system to feelings of motivation, reward, learning, memory/spatial memory (involving hippocampus), and hormone production (regulate autonomic nervous system). Drug/alcohol use can affect/change limbic system functions. Also see Anterior Cingulate Gyrus (ACC) and Hypothalamus