• Emotions , can best be described as our body's response to whatever is happening around us - our ‘gut instinct’ - they last seconds to minutes. They are controlled by chemicals our brains release in response to a trigger or event. The chemicals go throughout our body, forming a feedback loop between our body and brain, creating emotion: sensations in the body, experienced as intense feelings (e.g., exhilaration or fear) that last only seconds to minutes. According to neurologist Antonio Damasio, ”emotions are more or less the complex reactions the body has to certain stimuli ” For example: “When we are afraid of something, our hearts begin to race, our mouths become dry, our skin turns pale and our muscles contract. This emotional reaction occurs automatically and unconsciously. Feelings occur after we become aware in our brain of such physical changes; only then do we experience the feeling of fear." • Feelings are generated from our thoughts about those emotions: how we interpret them. Our feelings can be influenced by memories and past experiences: “people may forget what you said, people may forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” (Maya Angelou). Using the example given above - of “heart racing, dry mouth, pale skin, muscles contracting” - these physical changes may also be triggered by excitement, anticipation, feelings are the names we give to our emotions. We can use the word, "feel," for both physical and emotional states. For instance, we can "feel cold" both physically and emotionally.
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