If anxiety is in my brain, why is my heart pounding? A psychiatrist explains the neuroscience and physiology of fear

In the face of a perceived threat, your body often activates a fight-or-flight response. George Peters/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

Heart in your throat. Butterflies in your stomach. Bad gut feeling. These are all phrases many people use to describe fear and anxiety. You have likely felt anxiety inside your chest or stomach, and your brain usually doesn’t hurt when you’re scared. Many cultures tie cowardice and bravery more to the heart or the guts than to the brain.

But science has traditionally seen the brain as the birthplace and processing site of fear and anxiety. Then why and how do you feel these emotions in other parts of your body?