TL;DR
A brain cancer patient who lost his right amygdala in surgery found it eliminated his fear and depression, suggesting new avenues for psychiatric treatment, though not without side effects.
Daniel Böttger, a neuroscientist, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2024 and had surgery that removed his right amygdala, a region key to fear and negative emotion. Afterward, he noticed he no longer felt fear or depression, and stopped his antidepressant. His mood was so good that doctors suspected an 'affective disorder'.
From brain cancer to a life without fear
Surgery and chemotherapy should have been harrowing, but Daniel felt 'glorious.' He was unafraid, even refusing sedatives before a surgery with a 6% mortality risk, reciting a poem to the anesthesiologist. The only moment of fear came when he fell off stilts—and that thrilled him.
The cost of courage
Being fearless has downsides: he inadvertently scares people, can't read facial expressions well, and struggles to empathize with others' fears. Some friends liked him less. Still, Daniel considers losing fear and suffering a 'great bonus,' and he no longer has PTSD or depression.
Should we remove amygdalas for mental health?
Daniel advocates modern, precise techniques like Gamma Knife radiosurgery over the crude lobotomies of the past, for severe psychiatric disorders. He acknowledges personality changes but thinks for some, it could be more effective than a lifetime of therapy and medication.
He half-jokes: when we upload our brains, consider leaving the amygdalas behind—they're what makes you cry and laugh.
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