Above the ear

Hello,

What does "above the ear" mean?

Thanks!

"Washington has always awed me a little, not only because of its history, not only because of the austerity of its buildings, but also because of my consciousness that tremendous events are constantly taking shape there.. . . So when I walked into Mr. Big's anteroom you can imagine that I did not feel up to devouring the universe in a single gulp. As I sat there building up to the jitters (moist palms, tight throat, pounding heart, churning viscera) I remembered that all this combination of symptoms had its origin 'above the ears.' Almost simultaneously
I remembered your saying something like this:....