The physiology of power and fear - can AI help?

Written By Fareeha Irfan

I’ve wondered a lot about where my states of power and freeze come from. It fascinates me how we can shift between states, even within the same minute. If you’re like me you have a checklist of things you try when anxiety or freeze surfaces - all the things to try : meditation, journaling, breathwork, cold plunge (or simply dunk face in ice water bowl), shake it off literally, do a recycle (if you’ve done Hoffman yk) .

I decided to look a little deeper down to the cellular level of whats happening. So instead of topical remedies I can shift what needs to change at the root

Quick definitions of what we’ll talk about :

  • Engram cells - clusters of neurons that get activated during a specific experience and encode that memory

  • Norepinephrine

  • Dopamine

  • Cortisol

Part 1: How Memories Are Formed — and Strengthened

Lets’s start with the beginning, how are our

Engram cells are clusters of neurons that get activated during a specific experience and encode that memory.

So what determines which memories are stronger?

  • Emotional intensity (especially fear, shame, joy) triggers high norepinephrine and dopamine levels.

  • The amygdala flags emotionally salient experiences and signals the hippocampus to encode them more deeply.

  • Stress hormones (like cortisol) enhance this process in the short term — they heighten memory formation for survival-relevant experiences (e.g., a traumatic moment).

  • Repetition and rehearsal also strengthen the memory trace by reinforcing the synaptic connectivity between engram cells.

  • Over time, consolidation makes memories more stable (mainly during sleep and deep rest).

So yes sadly, our fear-based memories often get prioritized and consolidated more strongly — not because they're “more true,” but because the nervous system thinks they’re more urgent for survival. This is why childhood trauma especially 0-7 years imprints of us almost permanently.

Part 2: Fear vs. Power — The Physiological Pathways

Let’s map out what shifts physiologically between powerlessness and empowerment:

<insert table>

FEAR

When we’re flooded with fear, the amygdala hijacks the brain, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) goes offline (this is why you know things but can’t recall them eg interviews, being put on the stop - thats our amygdala hijacking us). In some states, our body mobilizes for survival or shuts down.

POWER

When you're feeling powerful, you are in ventral vagal activation, which means:

  • Your heart rate is regulated.

  • Your breath is fuller and rhythmic.

  • Your PFC is online and integrating thought, emotion, and action.

  • You feel connected, not isolated.

Part 3: Why You Can Shift in Minutes

This oscillation between states (power ↔ powerless) is very real because your autonomic nervous system is constantly scanning for safety vs. threat. This is called:

Neuroception — the brain’s subconscious threat detection system.

So in just a few seconds:

  • A thought, smell, posture, tone of voice, or memory can shift you from safety → threat.

  • Conversely, an internal anchor (breath, memory, or empowering posture) can shift you from threat → safety.

You're not broken. Your system is highly sensitive and scanning at all times.

Fareeha Irfan
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