A groundbreaking new study has revealed that the brain is capable of learning fear not just through direct experiences, but also by making inferences—a discovery that could shift our understanding of how humans develop complex emotional responses and may help unravel the roots of anxiety and trauma disorders. The research, published in the prestigious journal Nature on May 14 by a team at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan, demonstrates for the first time how higher-order emotional learning occurs in the brain, with profound implications for both neuroscience and mental health treatment worldwide (Neuroscience News).
This study matters greatly for Thai readers, given the high prevalence of anxiety and trauma-related conditions in the country and the growing interest in emotional well-being amid social and economic changes. Understanding how fear and anxiety can be learned through indirect associations—not simply from direct negative experiences—may pave the way for more refined therapies and public health interventions in Thailand, where stigma around mental health remains a barrier to treatment (World Health Organization, Thailand).
The research team, led by experts at the RIKEN Center, crafted a clever experiment with rats to mimic how humans might infer fear. In their study, a neutral sound and image were first paired together. Later, the image alone was associated with an unpleasant experience—a method known as aversive conditioning. Remarkably, when the rats heard just the previously neutral sound the next day, they displayed clear signs of fear, such as “freezing,” even though this sound had never been directly linked to anything aversive. This proved that the rats had not just learned through direct experience but had formed an internal model, inferring a connection between the sound and the fearful event based solely on their prior knowledge.
Central to this fear inference process is the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a part of the brain long believed to be involved in complex reasoning and emotions. By using advanced techniques—calcium imaging and optogenetics—the researchers were able to monitor the activity of individual neurons within the mPFC as rats learned and recalled emotional associations. The data showed that after aversive conditioning, neurons responsive to both the sound and image became highly active, but only if the sound and image had initially been paired together. Essentially, the mPFC “tagged” certain neurons during the sensory pairing phase, priming them to encode an indirect link between the sound and the negative experience.
Experimentally blocking the mPFC during learning disrupted the rats’ ability to form inferred fear associations, while their capacity to learn from direct experiences remained intact. When researchers prevented communication from the mPFC to the amygdala—a key brain region for emotional processing—during recall, rats were similarly unable to express fear to the inferred cue, the sound, even though the direct association with the image was unaffected (Nature abstract). These results pinpoint the mPFC as the neural seat for higher-order—“human-like”—fear learning.
According to the lead neuroscientist at the RIKEN research center, “Decades of studying aversive learning in rodents has revealed that the amygdala is a critical site for storing simple emotional memories involving directly experienced associations. However, our new findings indicate that the mPFC is a central brain region for higher order human-like emotions, which involve internal models and inference.”
Experts argue that these insights could revolutionize our understanding of mental health disorders. Many anxiety and trauma-related conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), involve fear and avoidance behaviors that extend well beyond the original traumatic event, often triggered by reminders or indirect cues. The study’s senior author notes, “The value of our study is that it opens the door for researchers everywhere to examine the neural mechanisms that mediate higher order emotions, which are more relevant to human psychiatric conditions like anxiety or trauma-related disorders.”
For Thailand, where rates of anxiety and PTSD are on the rise and mental health remains a sensitive subject, this research provides a compelling neuroscientific explanation for why people may develop fearful responses to reminders of trauma, even in the absence of new negative experiences (Bangkok Post Mental Health Coverage). By understanding that the brain is capable of forming internal models to predict aversive situations from indirect cues, both clinicians and policymakers in Thailand can better design preventative and therapeutic strategies—ranging from targeted cognitive therapies to public awareness campaigns—to address emotionally complex forms of learned fear.
Historically, traditional Thai culture has explained fear and anxiety through both spiritual and psychological lenses, with Buddhist perspectives emphasizing mindfulness to break the chain of negative emotional associations. Now, neuroscience contributes a fresh dimension: the biological mechanism by which the brain itself weaves webs of inference that inform our emotional world (Thailand Department of Mental Health). As Thais continue to navigate a fast-changing society with new stressors, understanding the interplay between culture and neurobiology will be crucial for developing mental health care that is both scientifically sound and culturally sensitive.
Looking to the future, these findings suggest promising avenues for research and intervention. Brain-based therapies targeting the mPFC, such as non-invasive neurostimulation or novel pharmacological treatments, may one day help disrupt or rewire maladaptive fear inferences. Further studies in humans are needed, but the framework provided by this research could inform clinical trials in Thailand, where innovative mental health solutions are urgently needed (PubMed: Emotional Learning and Therapy).
For Thai readers, the takeaway is practical as well as inspirational. Firstly, recognize that fears and anxieties can be learned indirectly—sometimes without a clear single traumatic event. Understanding this may help reduce self-blame or confusion about one’s emotional responses. If you or a loved one experiences disproportionate fear or anxiety around certain cues or reminders, know that these feelings may be rooted deeply in the brain’s natural tendency to build internal models—not simply in weak will or character. Engaging with trusted mental health professionals or proven mindfulness-based therapies can help retrain the brain’s associations and break the cycle of inferred fear.
In light of this research, Thai society can deepen its conversation about emotional learning: making room for both ancient wisdom and cutting-edge neuroscience to inform how we understand, prevent, and heal from psychological distress. Prioritizing mental health—in families, schools, workplaces, and public policy—is more important than ever. With new insights into the brain’s power of inference, Thailand is better equipped to foster resilience and well-being for all.