Emotions

Emotion, in its most general definition, is an intense mental state that arises automatically in the nervous system rather than through conscious effort, and evokes either a positive or negative psychological response. An emotion is often differentiated from a feeling. Although a common word, it is not easy to come up with a very general acceptable definition of emotion. Growing consensus does agree that the distinction between emotion and feeling is quite important. According to Damasio, feeling can be viewed as the personal experience of an emotion that arises physiologically in the brain.

Many psychologists adopt the ABC model, which defines emotions in terms of three fundamental attributes: A. physiological stimulation, B. behavioral expression and C. mindful experience, the subjective feeling of an emotion. All three attributes are necessary for a full fledged emotional event, though the intensity of each may vary greatly.

Robert Masters makes the following distinctions between affect, feeling, and emotion: "As I define them, affect is a naturally structured, non-cognitive evaluative sensation that may or may not register in consciousness; feeling is affect made conscious, possessing an evaluative capacity that is not only physiologically based, but that is often also psychologically oriented; and emotion is psychosocially constructed, dramatized feeling."

Emotions can be undesired to the individual experiencing them; he or she may wish to control but often cannot. Therefore one of the most distinctive, and perhaps challenging, facts about human beings is this potential for entanglement, or even opposition, between will, emotion, and reason.

One of the most influential classification approaches in the study of emotion is Robert Plutchik's eight primary emotions. The emotions that Plutchik lists as primary are:

Ð'* anger

Ð'* fear

Ð'* sadness

Ð'* joy

Ð'* disgust

Ð'* surprise

Ð'* curiosity

Ð'* acceptance

Similar to the way primary colors combine, primary emotions are believed to blend together to form the full spectrum of human emotional experience. Plutchik reasons that these eight are primary, by relating each to behavior with survival value. For example: fear motivates flight from danger, anger motivates fighting for survival. They are considered to be part of our biological heritage and built into human nature.

Attached to the idea of primary emotions as natural is the notion that each emotion causes a detectable physical response in the body. These responses are often perceived as sensation in the body; for example:

Ð'* Fear is felt as a heightened heartbeat, increased "flinch" response, and increased muscle tension.

Ð'* Anger, based on sensation, seems indistinguishable from fear.

Ð'* Happiness is often felt as an expansive or swelling feeling in the chest and the sensation of lightness or buoyancy, as if standing underwater.

Ð'* Sadness is often experienced as a feeling of tightness in the throat and eyes, and relaxation in the arms and legs.

Ð'* Shame can be felt as heat in the upper chest and face.

Ð'* Desire can be accompanied by a dry throat, heavy breathing, and increased heart rate.

They propose in psychotherapy that distressing emotions are relieved by emotional discharge. Hence crying, laughing, sweating, shaking, and trembling. These actions commonly associated emotions, are thought to not be the original sensation, but instead nearly automatic responses that dispel the discomfort of disturbing feelings.

People often show their emotions in different ways, some write poetry or song lyrics, while others cry, laugh, sweat and shake. Here is a poem from someone who was experiencing happiness and desire.

For so long I have hidden away my heart

But something happens when I hear your voice

Feelings and wants come rushing back

My heart taking over in this I have no choice

So many times have I been given false hope

And for once I want to have it be true

To throw caution fully to the wind

Only wanting to believe souly in you

To have the smiles and the laughs

No looking back on the moments only to cry

To keep you in my heart forever

And not having to ask the question why

So now I am gunna give it my all

Close my eyes and see the world through yours

Let my heart and your hand be my guide

No more secrets, no more closed doors.

The following poem is by someone who was feeling hurt and sadness:

"Sometimes I want to escape from the world.

I want to be by myself, alone and with no one.

I fell like the whole worlds against me and I'm locked up with it.

I want to be free, away from it, far far away.

I can feel like everyone hates me, and they want me out of their lives.

It makes me want to run, run as far away as possible.

I'm confined with the anger and I can't get out.

I'm running, I'm searching but there is no exit.

I get confused and angry, and I can say something's that are really painful.

When I'm hurt, I hurt others.

Not purposely, but I do.

But what can I do?

Is there no way out?

I sit and cry, tears of sadness roll down my cheeks.

Is there sadness all