If we were to look at the PTSD activation process through an fMRI, specific areas deep within the limbic system of the brain such as the amygdala would appear to be activated (flared). Other brain areas such as the speech center located in the left hemisphere would be shut down, going off line when the trauma is triggered. The area that is associated with making complex decisions in the prefrontal lobes referred to as "executive functioning" also goes off line when the traum