My Amygdala

By Samuel Liang | He/him/his | Buddhist Church of Stockton

TW: This article is about/mentions mood swings and other mentions of mental health disorders. Continue at your own discretion. If you or someone you know are in need of help or want to talk to someone, please dial the number for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month (recognized annually in May), this article is dedicated to those who suffer from any and all mental health disorders, from anxiety to suicidal thoughts. Amygdala. You’re probably thinking I just made up a word. Well, I didn’t. Amygdala (noun) is derived from the Greek word, ‘amygdale,’ meaning ‘almond,’ due to its almond-like shape. In neuroanatomy, amygdala is an almond-like mass of gray matter located inside each cerebral hemisphere in the brain and is involved with the experiencing of emotions. The amygdala regulates feelings and emotions, such as anxiety, aggression, and fear, and plays an important role in emotional memory and social cognition.

SUGA of K-Pop group BTS, recently produced a song titled, “Amygdala.”  When writing this song, Suga began to experience mood swings which brought up some traumatic memories from his past. In his lyrics, we get to hear Suga’s traumatic past and painful memories that are uncomfortable to discuss. 

The pre-chorus: 

I don't know your name, your name, your name

Traveling to memories

I don't know your name, your name, your name

Come on, let's erase them one by one, yes, one by one

From my interpretation in the pre-chorus, I don’t exactly know who he’s talking about, however I  can assume he is talking to his past-self who is revisiting his traumatic memories. 

Now in the chorus: 

My amygdala (My amygdala)

Please save me, please save me

My amygdala (My amygdala)

Please let me out, please let me out

My amygdala (My amygdala)

My amygdala (My amygdala)

Save me from here, hurry and get me out of here, yeah, yeah

In the chorus, Suga is trying to activate his flight or fight response, pleading to his amygdala to not only save him from situations that trigger his fear or anxiety, but also to keep away the painful memories associated with those moments in his life (Kam, 2023).

And lastly, in the last lines of the second verse:

What didn't kill me only made me stronger

And I begin to bloom like a lotus flower once again

In Buddhism, lotus flowers have long been a symbol of resilience because they are able to bloom even in the muddiest waters. In comparison, even though Suga can’t erase his pain from his past, he can still thrive.

If you listen to his song or watch his music video, you just might understand what Suga went through and can probably relate this to you or someone else in your life. It’s our amygdala. Not only does our amygdala protect us from future trauma, but it can also make us relive our pain from the past. 

“There’s a thing called an ‘amygdala.’ Your brain stores all of your unpleasant memories in the amygdala.”

- SUGA of BTS

Agust D 'AMYGDALA' Official MV on Youtube

References

Kam, Erica. “Suga Gets Super Vulnerable in the ‘Amygdala’ Lyrics.” Her Campus |

 Created for Gen Z, By Gen Z., 21 Apr. 2023, https://www.hercampus.com/culture/agust-d-amygdala-lyrics-meaning-english/. 

National Center for Biotechnology Information.

 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537102/.