The limbic system in the brain helps mediate attention, memory, learning, and emotion. It lies beneath the cerebral cortex and is considered a more “primitive” system than the cortex, which is the seat of “higher” level brain processes such as reasoning, personality, and perception. Two important, paired limbic structures for those interested in memory are the hippocampus and the amygdala. Both structures impact memory with the hippocampus involved in memory for detached facts (e.g., the capitol of Italy, your address) and the amygdala involved in the emotional side of memory (e.g., fear, pain, disgust, pleasure).