Alex Honnold’s Amgydala and Free Soloing with Tonglen

For those who got a chance to see the Oscar wining film “Free Solo” on National Geographic channel, they got a glimpse into the inner workings of the mind of the most amazing climber ever put on film. Directed by Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, it’s in theaters now as well as the safety of the National Geographic Channel in your own home.

There was a key moment in the film, when Alex agreed to have his brain MRI’d. The doctor looking at the inner workings of his brain, said “Your amygdala isn’t functioning normally.”

Alex made a comment like “I guess my brain’s different.”

Typical amygdala — Wikimedia

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Some can argue that the evidence of why Alex appears to be unafraid of heights, is because the “flight or fight” mechanism in his brain is malfunctioning. It’s the catchall phrase that people use when talking about the amygdala — a peanut sized part of the brain that regulates serotonin.

I’m not a doctor, but I’ve studied a little bit about the amygdala because it appears in an epic study on meditation, something I…