FORGIVENESS
FORGIVENESS: A Neurological, Neurochemical, and Ontological Inquiry Abstract Although forgiveness is often discussed within cultural or religious contexts, it is fundamentally shaped by biochemical, neuroplastic, and cognitive processes within the human brain. This article examines how the acts of forgiving and the inability to forgive gain meaning through brain circuits, neurotransmitter balances, memory systems, and belief-based cognitive frameworks. Furthermore, it emphasizes that forgiveness is not merely an "external" action, but an "internal" neuronal simulation and a dimensional experience. 1. Conceptual Framework Forgiveness is not just a social or moral behavior; it is a complex neurocognitive process resulting from the brain’s systems for emotion, memory, and decision-making. Conversely, the inability to forgive arises from the repeated triggering of threat perceptions and negative memory traces, primarily linked to the interactions between the amygd...