WHAT ARE EMOTIONS & HOW ARE THEY CREATED?
If you are someone who experiences intense emotions, you have probably wondered ‘what are emotions’ and ‘how are they created.’
After reading ‘How Emotions are Made’ by Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett on Shortform (shortform.com/jenn). I wanted to share a few bits of information that might help you recharacterize how you think about emotions.
Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, a professor of psychology and neuroscientist at Northeastern University shares her theory on emotion that really resonated with me. If you’ve ever wondered how your emotions are formed, where they come from, and how to manage them—her theory & the information she shares in this book are going to resonate with you.
The thesis of this book is based on the idea that emotions are fluid and flexible constructs we create about our past experiences (aka, they totally subjective). Emotions are not hardwired experiences in our minds, nor are they universally experienced. Barrett’s research on understanding emotions highlights a few major themes that I think are worth sharing. By sharing some common myths about emotions this post will help you understand them a bit better. So let’s dive in.
Myth #1: Emotions are scientifically measurable. Most people assume that you can pinpoint an emotion to a specific region of the brain. People also believe you can understand emotion by monitoring and measuring facial expressions, body language, and brain activity.
Reality: Facial expressions & body language will not tell you how someone is feeling. Emotions are not objective experiences and as a result, in fact, there is no way to scientifically measure a person’s emotions to determine how they are truly feeling. Emotions do not correspond with specific regions of the brain. For example, the amygdala is generally thought to be the ‘house’ of fear. However, studies show that only 30% of people experiencing fear have heightened activity in the amygdala. Long story short; emotions are complex constructs that involve many brain regions—not just one. They are mental constructs you learn as a child.
Myth #2: emotions are universal experiences. People all over the world share, understand and recognize the same emotions.
Reality: Different cultures have different emotions and unique language to describe emotional concepts. People from non-western cultures are frequently unable to recognize western concepts of emotion (and vice versa). A really interesting distinction is made between how Japanese and Americans interpret facial expressions. The Japanese tend to avoid overt displays of emotion with their mouths— rather, emotions are emphasized in the eyes. In America, displays of emotion are emphasized in the mouth. The study found that American subjects rated smiling emoticons with sad-looking eyes and a smile as happier than Japanese subjects did. Also of interest; there are several emotional concepts in Japan that do not exist in the west. For example, “age-otori” means “feeling like you look worse after a haircut” or “gigil” which translates to “the urge to squeeze someone/something that is unbearably adorable”. The takeaway: there are different emotions & expressions of emotion in varying regions of the world. There is however one exception to this rule and that is laughing. Most cultures tend to agree, laughing means happiness.
Myth #3: Feelings and emotions are the same things.
Reality: Feelings are your body’s internal sensations. Emotions are concepts & stories your brain assigns to the feeling, essentially giving those feelings meaning. They are entirely subjective. Understanding the Vagus Nerve works is central to this concept. The Vagus Nerve for those of you who are unfamiliar conveys information from the brain to the stomach (and vice versa) through the body’s sensory pathways.
Myth #4: Emotions are innate.
Reality: your brain creates emotions in the moment. It does this by applying abstract concepts it has learned, usually in childhood, to the sensory input it is experiencing. Your brain creates emotions by predicting what is going to happen based on what has happened in the past. This means, your brain is in a constant state of trying to figure out the meaning of input and make predictions to determine what actions it needs to take.
Myth #5: Mental Illnesses (like anxiety, depression, chronic stress, and even chronic pain) are due to physiological problems & chemical imbalances alone.
Reality: The same systems inside your body that construct emotion also contribute to illness. Your brain constructs the experience of pain in the same way it creates the experience of an emotion. They are both rooted in an imbalance between expectation & reality. Chronic stress causes Inflammation & inflammation causes the brain to undergo structural changes which can predispose you to disease. This may sound controversial, but scientific evidence is emerging to support the theory that thoughts create, or at the very least, sustain mental illness.
There is so much we can learn from studying emotion. If this piqued your interest & you want to read (or listen to) the detailed book summary of this book, you can do so on Shortform, follow the link Shortform.com/jenn This is by far the most comprehensive book app on the market! If you are a bookworm like me, you can find thousands of super-detailed book guides using their cutting-edge platform. You can try it risk-free by starting their 5-day free trial when you sign up using this link shortform.com/jenn. They are also offering my audience an additional 20% off the annual membership if you register through the link.
I personally like to ingest as much knowledge as I possibly can, and since I have a full-time career I don’t always have the luxury to read all of the books on my list. It is really nice to have the option to read in-depth book summaries instead. I encourage you to take advantage of this offer.
That is it for today! Sending you all my love!!
XOX Dr. Jenn