Prof. Lisa Feldman Barrett likens the brain to an energy-budgeting, prediction-making machine rather than a reactive organ to peripheral stimuli.1 Anxiety, depression, and trauma arise when that predictive system misfires.
Our emotions are constructed from past experiences and the sensory present, meaning every feeling we have is a blend of memory and present input. Because predictions occur faster than conscious awareness, we often feel powerless over our emotional states.
However, research suggests we can regain control by updating our brain’s predictions, rewiring emotional circuits over time. This perspective shifts how we treat trauma: this change isn’t about assigning blame but about recognising that only you can adjust the predictive models driving your responses.
As published in NZ Doctor and Research Review
