What Are Emotions? A Complete Neurodivergent Guide
Navigating the different emotions we experience can be a challenge. Strong and overpowering emotions can leave us feeling overwhelmed when we’re trying to manage them. This article serves as a comprehensive guide to understanding emotions, addressing key questions like "What are emotions?" exploring their origins, looking at where emotions come from, and determining the function of emotions. Whether you seek a basic understanding or a deeper insight into emotions, I’ve got you covered.
I haven’t always been so interested in emotions. For a long time, I treated emotions as these 'pesky little things' to be dealt with. Because I struggled to see the logic of emotions, I failed to take them seriously. However, once I learned the science of emotions, I was able to wrap my mind around the importance of these things. Now I take this whole emotion thing a bit more seriously!
It turns out that emotional awareness and understanding where emotions come from and how they function are key for emotion regulation and, ultimately, emotional resilience. While many of us know a few emotion regulation skills (from therapy, social media, or self-help articles), I found that, particularly for neurodivergent people, until we understand what emotions are and what these skills are actually doing to our brains, it can be hard to benefit from them.
So, by delving into the intricate details of what emotions are, where emotions come from, and what techniques we can use when they are overwhelming, we can improve our emotional resilience. In this comprehensive guide, we will take a deep dive into our emotions, the brain, and how they affect us.
In this guide, we will cover a wide range of topics related to emotions, helping you gain a deep understanding of this complex aspect of human experience. Here's what you can expect to learn:
Section 1: What Are Emotions
Defining Emotions
Different Theories of Emotion
Insights from Popular Psychological Studies in Emotion Research
Section 2: Understanding Emotions
Emotions vs. Mood
Emotions vs. Thoughts
Emotions vs. Facts
Defining Emotional Regulation
Understanding Emotional Integration
Exploring Emotional Intelligence
Unpacking Emotional Contagion
Promoting Emotional Health
Exploring Core Emotions
Understanding Secondary Emotions
Tool: The Arousal-Valence Model of Emotions
Section 3: The Function of Emotions
Evolutionary Theories of Emotions
The Primary Signaling System
What Emotions Communicate to Us
Recognizing When Things Go Wrong
Section 4: The Anatomy of Emotions
The Triune Brain Model
The Hierarchy of Emotions
Low-Road and High-Road Emotions
If you prefer a more in-depth exploration with visuals and exercises, consider checking out our Emotions 101 workbook bundle. Now that you know what's ahead, let's dive into understanding emotions!
What Are Emotions?
Emotions, at first glance, may appear as simple feelings we encounter in our daily lives, spanning a spectrum from joy to sorrow. We anticipate their arrival, and for the most part, we've developed ways to navigate them.
To break it down simply, emotions are like a dynamic duo – a collaboration between our body's signals and our mind's storytelling abilities. It's a tag team effort where our bodily sensations provide clues about our internal and external world, and our minds construct a narrative around these sensations. This interplay between the interpretations of bodily signals and our mental framework gives birth to emotions.
For instance, recall a time when your heart raced and your palms became sweaty. These physical cues suggest heightened arousal, but it's your mind that steps in to contextualize the experience. Drawing from your past encounters, it decides whether you're feeling fear, excitement, or anxiety. It's the narrative your mind weaves around these bodily sensations that shapes your emotional state. And your unique life history and cultural background play significant roles in crafting these narratives!
Our thoughts, memories, and beliefs also wield considerable influence over our emotional landscape. Imagine you and a friend are participating in a challenging competition. As you both stand at the starting line, ready to race, your minds interpret the situation quite differently. Your friend may construct a narrative filled with excitement and anticipation, viewing it as a thrilling challenge that promises adventure and achievement. This perspective leads to feelings of joy and enthusiasm, with their heart racing in anticipation.
On the other hand, your mind may paint a picture of uncertainty and caution. You might see the competition as daunting, fearing the possibility of failure or injury. This perspective results in emotions of apprehension or doubt, causing you to interpret your pounding heart as nervousness and anxiety.
This example illustrates how our emotions can vary based on the unique stories our minds create around the same set of bodily sensations and situational circumstances. In essence, your emotions are the result of a collaborative effort between your body's signals and the distinct narratives your mind weaves.
Theory of Emotions
Our brains have been evolving for hundreds of millions of years. The theory of emotions is a subject that has been explored by various psychological and philosophical perspectives. There is ongoing debate and research in the field to better understand the complex nature of human emotions. Researchers, scientists, and experts can't seem to be able to decide on one theory of emotions that everyone can agree on. So, there is no single theory of emotions that enjoys unanimous agreement.
Much of the ongoing debate centers around a fundamental question: where do emotions originate, in the body or in the mind? It's akin to the age-old chicken or egg dilemma, a topic that psychologists of emotion relish discussing!
To get the best overview, we're going to take a look at multiple different theories that suggest the origin of our emotions, and their interactions with our bodily sensations.
Do Emotions Start with the Body?
The connection between bodily reactions and emotions is a topic of ongoing exploration, and while it's evident that there is a close relationship, the precise nature of this connection remains a subject of study. Emotions are likely the result of a complex interplay between physiological, cognitive, and social factors.
Some ideas, like the James-Lange theory, propose that emotions start with how our bodies physically react. According to this idea, our body's physical responses, like a faster heartbeat or sweaty hands, happen before we feel the emotion. They believe that our body's reaction sets off the emotion. But it's essential to know that this theory has faced criticism because it simplifies emotions too much. Critics say that emotions are more than just physical reactions; they also involve our thoughts. Some researchers have found evidence that doesn't support the strict order suggested by the James-Lange theory, adding to the criticism.
Do Emotions Start with the Mind?
In contrast to the James-Lange Theory, some theories, such as the cognitive appraisal theory proposed by Richard Lazarus, had a completely different take. Lazarus flips the script and suggests that thinking takes the lead before emotions enter the stage. According to his theory, your mind steps in and assesses the situation before you even begin to feel any emotion. It's like your brain is the ultimate judge, deciding how you should react based on its assessment of what's going on. For example, if you perceive a situation as threatening, your mind might generate fear. This model has also faced criticism for being too simplistic.
Where Do Emotions Come From? Exploring the Two-Factor Theory of Emotions
Alright, so if emotions don't originate in the body, and they don't solely begin in the mind, where do they actually start? After criticism of the earlier models, the Schachter-Singer Theory, also known as the two-factor theory, emerged as a groundbreaking perspective that aimed to bridge this gap.
This theory adds complexity to our understanding of emotions. According to the two-factor theory, the sequence is as follows: first, you experience physiological arousal, meaning your body reacts in a certain way. Then, your brain engages, crafting a narrative or reason for that bodily response. Finally, you assign a label to that emotional experience.
In reality, emotions are the result of a dynamic interaction between cognitive processes, bodily responses, and various external and internal factors, making it challenging to pinpoin exactly where they come from!
Alright, let's anchor this debate in some concrete examples. Two cornerstone studies in the field of emotion research shed light on the connection between the body and mind when it comes to emotions: the Adrenaline study and the Capilano Suspension Bridge Study.
The Adrenaline Study
The Adrenaline Study provides a fascinating insight into the connection between our beliefs about bodily sensations and our emotional experiences. In this study, participants were injected with epinephrine (adrenaline) under the false pretense that they were testing side effects for a new drug for vision. They were divided into two groups: one group was informed about the expected side effects of the injection, while the other group was not given this information.
Both groups were then exposed to a "knowing" participant who pretended to experience either happiness or irritability. Those who were in a room with someone who acted happy and euphoric were more likely to interpret their increased heart rate as excitement and euphoria. On the other hand, those who were in a room with someone who was irritable were more likely to interpret the increase in heart rate from the adrenaline as anger.
A second intriguing finding emerged. The individuals who were not given an explanation for their bodily sensations became more susceptible to the emotions of those around them. This highlights the significant role of our beliefs about bodily sensations in shaping how we interpret and experience emotions.
The Capilano Suspension Bridge Study.
The Capilano Suspension Bridge Study, conducted by Dutton and Aron in 1974, offers fascinating insights into the interplay between fear-induced arousal and attraction. In this experiment, male participants were divided into two groups: one crossed a wobbly suspension bridge, while the other crossed a stable bridge. Following the bridge-crossing experience, a conventionally attractive female researcher approached the participants. She asked them to complete a questionnaire and provided her phone number for any inquiries.
The primary objective of this study was to investigate whether the heightened physiological arousal caused by fear could influence feelings of attraction. The results revealed that participants who had crossed the shaky suspension bridge (which induced more fear-based arousal) were more inclined to call the woman the following week (likely due to feeling attracted to the female researcher) than those who had crossed the stable bridge. This intriguing outcome suggests that heightened arousal, particularly in fear-inducing situations, can lead individuals to misattribute their heightened feelings as attraction. It underscores the intricate relationship between emotions and physiological responses, especially in romantic contexts.
So, if you're looking to make a strong impression on someone, perhaps consider planning an adventurous and slightly scary first date! It's worth noting that this study reflects the heteronormative assumptions of its time, given that it was conducted in the 1970s.
The Takeaway
So, with all these different theories on what our emotions are and where they come from, what are we supposed to believe? When it comes to understanding emotions and the brain, it is important to acknowledge that the field of neuroscience and psychology is still evolving, and our understanding of emotions is constantly expanding. Instead of looking for one definitive theory to believe in, it is probably more beneficial to explore multiple theories and use the information to enhance our overall knowledge and understanding.
By examining various theories, we can gain different perspectives and insights into emotions. This broader understanding allows us to have a more comprehensive view of how emotions function in the brain and how they influence our behavior. It also enables us to recognize the limitations and strengths of each theory.
A Guide to Emotions
We've taken a look at the different theories and studies to better understand what our emotions are and how they originate within us. Now, we're going to dive deeper into exploring what emotions are and what emotions aren’t. We’ll also look at different types of emotions and what it means to regulate our emotions. Think of it as a user manual to your emotions, helping you understand what they are and what they are not.
It can be easy to confuse our emotions with thoughts, moods, or even facts. Understanding their nuances and differences, however, is one of the ways we can improve our emotional intelligence and regulation skills. When we understand what we're going through, it's easier to navigate our emotions.
Emotions vs Mood
Emotions and moods, though they might feel similar at times, are distinct psychological states with different durations and influence. Emotions are usually specific, intense reactions triggered by particular events or circumstances. For example, anger can arise in response to an injustice, while happiness can result from a positive experience.
Emotions have a more immediate influence on our thoughts, behaviors, and physical sensations. In contrast, moods are longer-lasting, often persisting for hours, days, or even weeks. They can be influenced by various factors like hormones, sleep patterns, and external events, shaping our overall outlook and perceptions.
Emotions vs Thoughts
Emotions are complex and instinctive reactions that often operate outside of our conscious awareness, triggered by both internal and external stimuli. They tend to be relatively short-lived but can carry intense feelings, including sensations like joy, sorrow, rage, fear, and more. Emotions can arise spontaneously without the need for conscious thought.
On the other hand, thoughts involve our ideas, beliefs, and perceptions about ourselves and the world. These mental processes are often within our conscious control (to a certain extent), allowing us to influence and modify them. Thoughts manifest as inner dialogues and enable reasoning, analysis, planning, and problem-solving.
Thoughts play a vital role in information processing, decision-making, and the formation of our beliefs, often influenced by external factors, past experiences, and accumulated knowledge. Some thoughts occur automatically and are closely connected to emotions. For example, when we feel threatened, automatic self-preservation thoughts can intensify or prolong specific emotional states.
It's common for individuals who are new to understanding emotions to initially confuse their thoughts with emotions. For instance, saying "I feel like I'm stupid" actually reflects a thought, while the accompanying feeling may encompass emotions like incompetence, shame, or sadness.
Emotions vs Facts
Emotions are personal, feeling-based reactions to stimuli or situations, often shaped by our own experiences and perspectives. They can be powerful and may not always align with verifiable or objective information.
In contrast, facts are objective, provable pieces of information that remain unaffected by personal feelings or interpretations. While emotions can significantly impact our perceptions and choices, facts are rooted in reality and serve as the foundation for making logical, evidence-based judgments and decisions.
It's important to note that when we experience an emotion, there is a truth in it, but it may not be THE TRUTH. While it holds a truth for us, it may not necessarily represent the ultimate truth. The difficulty arises when we start to equate our emotions with the absolute truth, leading to emotional challenges.
Emotional Regulation
Emotional regulation is all about how well we can recognize, understand, and better manage our emotions. The goal of emotional regulation is to be able to respond to our emotions healthily and productively rather than reacting impulsively or getting overwhelmed. It involves being aware of our emotions and the triggers that cause them, as well as being able to regulate our emotional responses to different situations.
By practicing emotional regulation, we can develop healthier coping mechanisms and prevent emotional outbursts or unhealthy behaviors. It allows us to navigate challenging situations more effectively, maintain healthy relationships, and improve our overall well-being. It's important to note that emotional regulation is not about suppressing or denying our emotions. It is about acknowledging and accepting them while also learning to manage them in a way that benefits our mental and emotional health.
Emotion Integration
Amidst the prevalent discourse on emotion regulation—undeniably important—I contend that our ultimate goal should be emotion integration. It involves wholeheartedly experiencing our emotions, seamlessly weaving them into the fabric of our self-understanding. Emotion integration empowers us to assimilate our emotional experiences, enriching our identity and fostering profound self-awareness.
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence, often referred to as EQ, represents our capacity to perceive, monitor and regulate your emotions and to use emotions to facilitate thought and mobilize us to action. It can be broken down into four parts:
Emotional Perception: This is all about acknowledging your emotions and gaining insight into our internal emotional state.
Emotion Facilitation of Thought: It relates to how your emotions can enhance your thinking abilities and aid in decision-making.
Emotional Understanding: This aspect centers on not only comprehending our own emotions but also grasping how emotions function in others, fostering empathy and social awareness.
Emotion Regulation: This involves acquiring skills to manage our emotions effectively, preventing them from controlling us. This typically involves increasing positive emotions and decreasing negative emotions.
Positive vs Negative Emotions
Both positive and negative emotions are integral to our human experience, each fulfilling distinct and valuable roles. Positive emotions, like happiness, joy, and gratitude, are instrumental in enhancing our overall well-being. They contribute to a sense of fulfillment, stress reduction, and both our physical and mental health. Positive emotions also promote creativity, deepen our connections, and inspire us to chase our dreams.
It may be surprising to hear, but negative emotions like sadness, fear, and anger are just as important as the positive ones. They function as important indicators, signaling potential threats, challenges, or unmet needs. Negative emotions can spur problem-solving, introspection, and adaptive responses, empowering us to confront difficulties and evolve through our experiences.
So, while we may appreciate positive emotions more in our lives, so-called negative emotions also play an important role!
Emotional Contagion
Emotional contagion is exactly what it sounds like—when emotions become contagious! It's the phenomenon where one person's emotions can influence and spread to others. For instance, if someone in a group is feeling joyful and expressive, their positive emotions can catch on to others in the group, creating an overall boost in everyone's mood. Conversely, if someone is experiencing stress or anxiety, those emotions can also be transmitted to others.
Emotional contagion is a fundamental part of human social interaction, and it can happen through various channels, including nonverbal cues like facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, and even written communication and social media. This process plays a significant role in shaping our connections and interpersonal relationships.
Emotional Health
Emotional health encompasses various facets that contribute to our emotional well-being and resilience. It's a comprehensive concept influenced by multiple factors, including positive thoughts and behaviors, effective emotion regulation, and open communication. These elements work together to support our emotional health.
Furthermore, maintaining healthy sleep patterns, a balanced diet, and a regular exercise routine can play a pivotal role in enhancing our emotional well-being. It's a harmonious partnership where emotional and physical health mutually reinforce each other.
For neurodivergent individuals, adhering to routines like getting sufficient sleep, engaging in regular exercise, and maintaining a nutrient-rich diet can pose unique challenges. Coping with factors such as chronic pain and sensory sensitivities can complicate self-care efforts. It's essential not to feel overwhelmed and to consider starting with gradual lifestyle changes. Even small changes can help build momentum for better changes in the future.
Different Kinds of Emotions
When we talk about emotions, it’s helpful to distinguish core emotions or primary emotions from secondary emotions.
Core Emotions
We are all born with core, or primary emotions, designed by evolution to ensure our survival. Among these primary emotions, four stand out: fear, joy, sadness, and anger. These emotions are hardwired into our brains and serve as quick responders, directing our body's reactions when we encounter various stimuli. For instance, fear arises when we need to escape from a dangerous situation, while anger can be triggered when we need to prepare for action or defend ourselves.
These essential emotional responses do not originate from a singular brain area but rather result from complex interactions among multiple brain regions. Predominantly, they originate from the limbic system, one of the brain's oldest structures. Within the limbic system, structures like the amygdala, hypothalamus, and thalamus work in harmony to coordinate our emotional responses.
Core emotions are often described as "low-road" emotions, as they happen swiftly and instinctively. They act as our emotional first responders, coming to our aid when we find ourselves in challenging situations. Some people also include emotions like disgust and surprise as part of this primary emotional repertoire.
Secondary Emotions
Secondary emotions, often referred to as "complex emotions," emerge as a result of our primary emotions. While primary emotions are instinctual reactions to stimuli, secondary emotions are more intricate and involve self-awareness and cognitive processing, a concept known as cognitive appraisal. These emotions come to the surface as we reflect on and interpret our initial emotional experiences, adding a layer of complexity to our emotional landscape.
In contrast to the innate core emotions we are born with, secondary emotions can vary significantly based on an individual's personality, past experiences, and cultural influences. Examples of secondary or complex emotions encompass guilt, shame, jealousy, pride, envy, and admiration.
These emotions are typically more nuanced and subjective when compared to primary emotions. For instance, when we experience guilt, we engage in self-reflection regarding our actions or behavior, often leading to feelings of remorse or regret. Similarly, feelings of pride arise as we evaluate our accomplishments or qualities, resulting in a sense of self-worth and satisfaction.
The Arousal-Valence Model of Emotions
As we explore the intricacies of emotions, especially secondary emotions, it feels important to acknowledge that many neurodivergent individuals, including myself, often encounter difficulties in recognizing and understanding our emotional experiences. When we struggle to define our emotions, it becomes more challenging to calm ourselves down and regulate them. This makes it even more crucial to find effective ways to identify and understand our emotions. Fortunately, there are some helpful tools available to enhance emotional awareness and identification.
One such tool is the Arousal-Valence Matrix, which categorizes emotions based on their level of arousal (the degree of calmness or agitation) and valence (whether they are positive or negative).
By determining where you reside within the matrix, you can gain a better understanding of your emotions and improve your awareness of both your emotional and physical state. You can read more about the emotion matrix and grab a free download here.
What Are Emotions Summary
Whew, that was a lot of information and perhaps more than you ever wanted to know about emotions! But now that we've covered the basics of what emotions are (and what they aren't), let's dive into the next phase of our journey: exploring the function and purpose of these complex phenomena. Why do these pesky little things even exist?
The Purpose of Emotions
So, we've learned a lot about emotions at this point. But let's take a look at why we have these emotions in the first place. We know that we experience emotions to ensure our survival, but they serve several purposes and are crucial to our functionality as humans. Emotions are an essential method of communication both to ourselves and to others. This is vital for forming attachments and creating strong connections with others. Our emotions are the reason we have love, friendship, and family bonds.
Strong emotions can empower us to action and motivate us to do hard things and overcome obstacles. Additionally, our emotions provide us with important information. At any given moment, they are telling us how we feel, how safe we are, what's going on around us, and more. Without our emotions, we simply couldn't function.
Evolutionary Theory of Emotions
When we look at our emotions through an evolutionary lens, we can see that our emotions are
here for a reason...to help us survive. Part of that survival includes the reproduction of our species. In terms of reproduction, our emotions are responsible for our ability to form attachments and foster love. Emotions are even the reason a parent feels attached to their offspring to be fierce protectors and ensure their survival!
It's about more than just romance, though, as emotions are always at the ready to be the first to tell us when we need to react to a situation to survive. The fight-flight-freeze response has been helping humans survive for millions of years, helping us to act quickly and seek safety when in danger.
The Primary Signaling System
Our emotions act as our primary signaling system. Think of them as your brain's early warning system, always ready to signal you in an instant. When you come across a situation or something that catches your attention, your emotions jump into action right away, often before your conscious mind can even catch up (we can also call these reactive emotions).
For instance, picture this: You're taking a walk in the woods, and suddenly, you hear a noise as you see the bush next to you begin to move. Instantly, your emotions go into high gear, and you might feel fear or alarm, which sets off your fight-or-flight response. This lightning-fast reaction is crucial for your safety, helping you respond swiftly in situations that could potentially be risky. Thank goodness we have this quick signaling system that helps us to react quickly to danger!
What Emotions Communicate to Us
Our emotions have important roles when it comes to our communication. When we experience an emotion such as joy, sadness, anger, or fear, it often reflects a specific need or desire that is being met or unmet. We know that their primary goal is to help us survive, and communicating our needs is no exception. Emotions make it possible for us to express our needs not only to ourselves but to others. By articulating our emotions, we share vital information about our needs, thereby enabling others to comprehend and respond to them effectively.
When Things Go Wrong
Emotions serve as a natural alert system that plays a crucial role in our survival and well-being. When this system operates effectively, it responds to situations of danger, motivates social connection, ensures our protection, and signals our basic needs. Essentially, emotions provide us with vital information about our current needs, guiding our actions. However, when our emotional system malfunctions, it can lead us astray. Seemingly harmless situations may unexpectedly trigger feelings of fear or danger, as if our emotional compass has lost its way.
While emotions are valuable, they can be disrupted by negative life experiences. Traumatic events, for example, have the potential to interfere with our primary signaling system—our emotions—making them unreliable and inaccurate. In such cases, traumatic and stressful events can disrupt our emotional signaling, causing us to perceive danger and threat even when it's not present. This can create a sense that our past is constantly intruding into the present, making the information we receive from our emotional reactions less trustworthy.
Neurodivergent individuals are more susceptible to experiencing adverse life events, which can make us more vulnerable to having our primary signaling system hijacked! In such situations, a constant sense of threat can create difficulties in distinguishing whether our emotions are genuinely providing useful guidance or leading us astray.
The Purpose Of Emotions Summary
Throughout evolution, our emotions have made sure to be the rapid response team in charge of our survival. We have our fight-flight-freeze response to thank for prompting us to take quick action and seek safety in dangerous situations. We can count on our emotions to help us communicate with ourselves and each other.
While our emotions can be invaluable, they can also cause havoc for us once signals start getting crossed. Unfortunately, the more trauma and negative life events a person experiences, the higher the chances that their emotions are causing conflicting and confusing messages. It can be complex to navigate these intricacies, but understanding them better is vital for healing and emotional well-being.
The Anatomy of Emotions
Emotions and the brain share a deeply intertwined relationship, where the brain plays a critical role in shaping how we perceive and express our emotions. While multiple areas of the brain contribute to our emotional processing, the limbic system, with its key components like the amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus, stands out as a central player.
To effectively process emotions, the brain relies on intricate communication among various regions. Neurons transmit electrical signals and use neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine to relay emotional information. This complex network of connections and chemical messengers allows us to understand and interpret our emotional experiences.
Brain structures and neural pathways influence how we comprehend, feel, and respond to emotions, and emotions, in turn, have a significant impact on brain activity and functioning. Recognizing the brain's importance in the realm of emotions deepens our understanding of the intricate nature of our emotional lives.
While the mechanisms of how emotions work in the brain are quite complex, and a comprehensive explanation would require the expertise of a neuroscientist, there are simplified frameworks that, while imperfect, can provide a helpful structure for understanding emotions. One such theory is the triune brain model.
The Triune Brain Model
The Triune Brain Model, despite its oversimplification, continues to provide a valuable and accessible framework for understanding the brain. This concept originated from the work of neuroscientist Paul MacLean in the 1960s, who proposed that the brain can be divided into three distinct evolutionary layers stacked on top of each other. These layers include the reptilian brain at the base, the mammalian brain in the middle, and the primate brain at the top. The theory suggests that throughout evolution, these layers have grown progressively more complex.
While the Triune Brain model has faced challenges, and some aspects have been disproven over time, it still holds value for its ability to help us understand different aspects of emotions. It reminds us that even imperfect models can offer valuable insights into complex phenomena. And simplified models are what our minds can easily grasp and use when we're dealing with strong emotions!
The Reptilian Brain: Survival State
The survival state is closely linked to the brain's oldest region, which has been around for roughly 400 million years and includes the brainstem and cerebellum. This area primarily oversees our physical safety and how we assess potential dangers, controlling essential bodily functions like heart rate, body temperature, blood pressure, and breathing. When the survival state is triggered, our body rapidly switches into action mode, activating the fight-flight-freeze response.
Emotions stemming from the reptilian brain are our quickest emotional reactions, instantly mobilizing us for action, all with the fundamental question: "Am I safe?" These emotions don't undergo the higher-level analytical brain's filtering process (the executive state), making them the fastest emotional responses. This explains why individuals can go from 1 to 10 on the emotional intensity scale in mere seconds when a trigger activates their threat response.
Mammalian Brain: Emotional State
The limbic brain serves as the epicenter for processes related to memory, attachment, and social connection. It acts as an emotional memory repository where memories of attachment, connection, and even stressful events are stored. These memories significantly influence our attachment behaviors, propelling us towards seeking or avoiding specific situations. Additionally, the limbic system houses our reward system, shaping our desires for nourishment, pleasure, and even reproduction.
This brain state revolves around the themes of connection and social interaction. Any threats to our sense of belonging can trigger intense emotional reactions. When operating within this brain region, we grapple with questions like, "Am I loved?" and "Do I belong?" Finding comfort in the presence of trusted people in our lives and nurturing our connections prove to be the most effective means of calming emotions originating from this brain area.
Primate Brain: Executive State
Finally, let's explore the Executive State, also known as the neocortex, which represents a recent evolutionary development in the history of primates. Think of it as the brain's central command center for higher-level thinking processes. Here, important tasks like strategic thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, and aspects of language, culture, and complex emotions come into play. In essence, it's where our "conscious self" operates.
For neurodivergent individuals, there may be less efficient communication between the "reptilian brain" and the "executive brain," which can contribute to challenges in emotional regulation. The neocortex is often referred to as the brain's "minder" because it can step in to regulate intense emotions when the more primal survival or limbic states become overwhelming.
The Hierarchy of Emotions
In the Triune Brain model, our brain is organized into hierarchical layers: the neocortex at the top, the limbic system in the middle, and the "reptilian brain" at the base. This model simplifies the idea that higher-level thinking governs primal impulses, but in reality, emotions are a two-way street.
The neocortex, also known as the executive state, has the capacity to calm the reptilian brain. Conversely, engaging in body-based techniques can soothe the reptilian brain, subsequently affecting our prefrontal cortex's thoughts. Both the "reptilian brain" and the "primate brain" can mutually influence each other. The reptilian brain can elicit reactions in the neocortex, just as thoughts originating in the prefrontal cortex can activate the reptilian brain. When these brain systems function effectively, they collaborate seamlessly.
Understanding their interconnectedness is helpful because it enables us to regulate our emotions when needed and amplify them in appropriate situations. This awareness of the complex interaction between emotional and survival systems in the brain is crucial for managing stress and anxiety.
Emotions that primarily originate from the reptilian brain are often referred to as "low road emotions" because they happen quickly, while emotions that involve cognitive appraisals and go through the executive state are known as "high road emotions."
High-Road vs Low Road Emotions
The concepts of the "high road" (conscious, reflective) and "low road" (instinctive, automatic) offer insights into how our brain handles emotions. The "high road" represents conscious and reflective processing, primarily located in the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for advanced thinking and reasoning. These are often secondary emotions and arise after we’ve had some time to create a narrative around the experience. Complex emotions such as empathy and moral judgments often rely on the high road, offering a deeper understanding of emotional contexts.
On the other hand, the "low road" involves an automatic and unconscious process driven by the amygdala and thalamus. In this pathway, emotions are instinctively triggered, leading to immediate and sometimes uncontrollable reactions. Low-road emotions, such as fear, anger, and surprise, are primal and instinctual. The strength of the low road lies in its rapid processing, enabling quick responses to perceived threats or rewards. These high and low road pathways play crucial roles in our emotional processing, allowing us to adapt to various emotional experiences and situations.
Our approach to how we will respond to low-road and high-road emotions differs given the very different nature of these experiences.
Anatomy of Emotions Summary
We've covered a lot of ground in understanding how our brain's different parts influence our emotions and emotional states. In a nutshell, we've learned that our brain can be divided into three key areas - the reptilian, mammal, and primate brains - each with its role in processing and managing emotions. These brain sections have evolved over millions of years to help us respond to external stimuli and ensure our survival.
Our emotional brain states - the survival, emotional, and executive states demonstrate the hierarchical function of the brain in practical terms. If we can learn how to assess our internal state and adjust as necessary, we can maintain access to our higher-order thinking skills. With this awareness, we learn to consciously manage our thoughts and emotions, ultimately reinforcing our emotional regulation abilities.
Summary: What Are Emotions
In summary, emotions are complex and multifaceted experiences that involve a combination of our bodily sensations and the way our minds interpret those signals. The origin of emotions is a subject of ongoing debate, with different theories suggesting whether they begin with physical sensations or cognitive appraisals. Our beliefs, memories, and thoughts play a significant role in shaping our emotional experiences.
Emotions can be categorized into primary and secondary emotions, which differ in their immediacy and complexity. They are processed in different parts of the brain, from the reptilian brain responsible for rapid survival responses to the neocortex that handles higher-level cognitive processes.
Understanding the anatomy and hierarchy of emotions, as well as the high-road and low-road pathways, provides valuable insights into how our brain processes and regulates emotions. This knowledge can empower us, including those of us who are neurodivergent, to better navigate our emotional landscapes, manage our emotional responses, and enhance our overall emotional intelligence and well-being.
Future Resources
If you want to learn more about emotions, here are a few resources for you:
Emotions 101 Workbook and Companion Skillsbook: This digital workbook set provides an overview of emotions as well as 55+ skills for working with emotions.
How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain: Written by a neuroscientist, this is a comprehensive yet accessible take on emotions. She debunks some of the major theories of emotions and explains exactly what they are. It is science-heavy, but if you’re looking for a comprehensive, cutting-edge take on emotions, this is a great resource!
Divergent Conversations-Autistic Emotions: Less scientific, but if you’re looking to hear from a lived experience context. Patrick and I (both mental health professionals) talk about emotions and our experience of emotions as AuDHDers (Autistic-ADHD)
