Humankind has always been in awe of the power of emotion. Keats yearned for a life “of passion rather than thought”. I don’t know, for me words are passion…from my thinking mind? But one can’t deny the fact that we are guided and controlled by our emotions. They shape us.Sometimes they “hijack” us. Take over our whole sense of being. (and I’ve had a great deal of experience with this the last six weeks!) But what is happening in our heads when extreme emotion sweep away responsibility and judgement?
Emotion permeates our every waking moment. Emotions are culturally universal. Paul Ekman, an internationally renowned psychologist, looked at the studies of Charles Darwin, and concluded that his visionary insight that emotions are universally expressed, is correct. He identified six basic emotions: fear, surprise, anger, happiness, disgust and sadness. This reveals that emotions are fundamental property of our brains. A basic buiding block in our mental make-up. Several different structures and chemicals in the brain play a role in triggering emotions. Chemicals like noradrenaline and adrenaline work both as neurotransmitters and hormones that affect target cells all over the body. The hypothalamus is the gate keeper…transmitting and communicating information from the senses and sophisticated parts of the brain. It triggers arousal. Arousal is how alert and excited we feel, not an emotion itself, but a state that often accompanies emotion. (Might explain the differences between female and male behaviour…). Certain parts of the brainstem also triggers arousal since the fountainheads of neurotransmitters are situated here, especially the main brain chemical in arousal, dopamine.
So the key question here is, are emotions chemical and physical reactions that can be artificially induced? Is arousal separate from emotion?
I know it’s not this simple. One has to look much deeper, much further. Can we experience intense pleasure without being aroused at all? Can anyone really understand emotions? Can it be analyzed and explained? New facts are coming to light everyday. For example the role of the female hormone oxytocin which has a direct link to emotion. We know that testosterone triggers aggression. But are we just products of our own brain chemistry? So many unanswered questions.
I know that when I feel certain emotions, I function accordingly. When I feel intense pain or love or sadness, I can write beautiful poetry. When I feel anger, or experience conflict, I run away. I get in my car and just leave. When I’m very upset, I start cleaning and organising. So, am I a captive…a slave to this grey watery mass that is my brain? I guess I am. What about you?
If you are interested in this topic, and want to read a digestable, easy-to-read book, I recommend that you read:
“Brain Story” by Susan Greenfield. This book was written to accompany the BBC series, and published by BBC Worldwide Limited.
ISBN: 0 563 55108 9.
In South Africa today security plays a vital part in any business or private home. This book and the volumes to follow, will guide you step by step through the essential precautionary measures to be taken in protecting your family and valuables. From employing security guards, evacuation of your site and security measures to burglar bars and alarms in your private home.
a Book compiled by me from experience gained after 10 years in the security industry as Industrial relations officer with Nosa qualifications, 1st Aid, fire protection and also S.O.B. grade A.
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