What are emotions?
Emotions are ancient survival mechanisms. Since prehistoric times, they have signaled to the body that something important is happening. There are eight basic emotions: love, fear, happiness, anger, sadness, surprise, shame, and disgust. All others are variations or combinations of these.
The brain reacts more strongly to negative emotions because they signal danger. This explains why we find it easier to feel fear or anxiety than gratitude or calm. The problem is that emotional triggers have changed: fear, which once saved lives in the wild, can now be triggered by an overdue email or a catastrophic thought about the future.
How are emotions triggered?
They are activated by different types of stimuli, such as:
- Sounds: music can move us, and a loud bang can trigger intense fear.
- Words: tone and content have a strong emotional impact.
- Images: seeing an act of affection or violence can provoke an immediate reaction.
- Touch: a caress or a slap activate different emotional circuits.
- Thoughts: known as “rational triggers,” they carry great weight.
- Smells: can awaken forgotten memories and emotions.
All of this is connected to wave and frequency patterns: sound, light, brain electricity, and even electromagnetic vibrations — such as those emitted by cell phones — can influence our emotional state.
The “Little Albert” experiment
A psychology classic shows how we associate emotional stimuli: a baby named Albert was conditioned to fear rats by pairing the sight of the animal with a loud, frightening sound. The experiment illustrates how we unconsciously learn to fear seemingly neutral things.
And what about consciousness?
Consciousness is the state of being aware of what happens inside and outside oneself. Many emotions never reach consciousness because they aren’t strong enough to stand out — like the submerged part of an iceberg. However, they continue to act, influencing our decisions, mood, and even physical health.
When we become aware of our emotions, we gain the chance to act on them and restore the body’s balance. This balance is essential for proper immune function and can be disrupted by repressed emotions, chronic stress, or disconnection from the body.
Collective thoughts: are we all connected?
Research such as the Global Consciousness Project shows that events affecting millions of people (like the death of a public figure) can alter random patterns in computers worldwide. This suggests that our emotions may influence the world in subtle yet measurable ways.
Even animals seem to sense these shifts: they instinctively flee before earthquakes or storms, perhaps perceiving vibrations that we overlook.
To feel is to live, but to perceive is to transform
Emotions are part of who we are — denying them is denying life itself. But developing emotional awareness allows us to use emotions to our advantage. When we understand where they come from, why they arise, and how they affect us, we open a path toward healing, balance, and holistic health.
Have you been able to recognize what you feel — or only notice it when emotion has already turned into physical or mental pain?
Português do Brasil
English
Español