This study investigates whether the amygdala is activated in response to emotional stimuli without explicit knowledge. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers presented masked facial expressions (fearful or happy) to 10 healthy subjects. The backward masking technique ensured that subjects did not consciously perceive the emotional expressions. Despite this, fMRI data showed significantly higher amygdala activity during the presentation of masked fearful faces compared to masked happy faces. This suggests that the amygdala can respond to emotional stimuli without conscious awareness. The study supports the idea that initial responses to emotional stimuli are automatic and do not require awareness. The amygdala, located in the medial temporal lobe, is known to process emotionally valenced stimuli. The findings are consistent with previous research indicating that the amygdala may survey emotionally valenced stimuli without awareness. Additionally, the study found that masked fearful faces activated the sublenticular substantia innominata (SI), suggesting a spatial dissociation between regions responding to emotional valence and those responding to salience or arousal. The study used fMRI in conjunction with masked stimulus presentations to explore the role of the amygdala in nonconscious processing. The results show that the amygdala's activation is differentially affected by the emotional valence of external stimuli. The study also highlights the automaticity of amygdala responses to emotional facial expressions and their role in nonconscious monitoring of emotional stimuli. The findings have implications for understanding the neural mechanisms underlying emotional processing and awareness. They suggest that the amygdala can respond to emotional stimuli without conscious awareness, which has important implications for understanding anxiety disorders and other conditions involving emotional processing. The study also underscores the importance of further research into the role of the amygdala in nonconscious processing and its potential applications in clinical settings.This study investigates whether the amygdala is activated in response to emotional stimuli without explicit knowledge. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers presented masked facial expressions (fearful or happy) to 10 healthy subjects. The backward masking technique ensured that subjects did not consciously perceive the emotional expressions. Despite this, fMRI data showed significantly higher amygdala activity during the presentation of masked fearful faces compared to masked happy faces. This suggests that the amygdala can respond to emotional stimuli without conscious awareness. The study supports the idea that initial responses to emotional stimuli are automatic and do not require awareness. The amygdala, located in the medial temporal lobe, is known to process emotionally valenced stimuli. The findings are consistent with previous research indicating that the amygdala may survey emotionally valenced stimuli without awareness. Additionally, the study found that masked fearful faces activated the sublenticular substantia innominata (SI), suggesting a spatial dissociation between regions responding to emotional valence and those responding to salience or arousal. The study used fMRI in conjunction with masked stimulus presentations to explore the role of the amygdala in nonconscious processing. The results show that the amygdala's activation is differentially affected by the emotional valence of external stimuli. The study also highlights the automaticity of amygdala responses to emotional facial expressions and their role in nonconscious monitoring of emotional stimuli. The findings have implications for understanding the neural mechanisms underlying emotional processing and awareness. They suggest that the amygdala can respond to emotional stimuli without conscious awareness, which has important implications for understanding anxiety disorders and other conditions involving emotional processing. The study also underscores the importance of further research into the role of the amygdala in nonconscious processing and its potential applications in clinical settings.