An emotion is a mental state that is produced in reaction to a person, situation or object, accompanied by physiological changes. Emotions can be expressed as negative or positive, acting like a compass, directing the path you are heading towards in life. Emotions like anxiety, anger, resentment, worry, fear, and depression are negative, whereas joy, happiness, compassion, and love are positive emotions.
The continuous presence of negative emotions can build up, having a cumulative effect, and lead to mental paralysis, depression, and/or physical disease. Holistically speaking, emotional well-being means not only having the ability to feel and express the full spectrum of human emotions but possessing the ability to process and not be attached to and overcome by them.
Among all the assortment of emotions in humans, love and fear are the two basic ones that underlie the others, with varying degrees of intensity. For instance, love-based feelings are desire, joy, pleasure, contentment, acceptance, hope, peacefulness, excitement, self-esteem, assertiveness, and generosity. Conversely, anxiety, anger, sorrow, apathy, bitterness, jealousy, irritability, depression, rejection, pity, grief, aggressiveness, powerlessness, passiveness, loneliness, and irritability are examples of fear-based emotions. Subsequently, they produce two very opposing chemical reactions in the body.
DID YOU KNOW: Love-based emotions create healthy alkaline reactions in the body, and fear-based emotions acidify the tissues and fluids, subjecting the body to disease!
EMOTIONS & COMMON REACTIONS
Most people are not conscious of their emotions and/or don’t know how to deal with them in a positive manner. Often times, current emotions are linked to past experiences and events. Negative emotions from the past that were tucked away and not processed can and will instigate negative feelings or reactions in the present. Emotions should be experienced and handled immediately in a conscious manner to remain in a healthy space. Suppressed emotions can have a poisonous effect on the body until they are dealt with and released.
It is an exceptionally healthy practice to make certain that all the emotions you experience are fully processed, which does take diligent conscious effort. Keep in mind that just talking about your past experiences doesn’t mean you are processing your feelings like many conventional psychotherapists would like you to believe. You just end up mixing the old problems with new solutions to manage the old issues that never really go away. It’s like painting one picture on top of another. One must clear away the old and begin painting on a new canvas. It takes gaining a completely new perspective on life and self, separating what’s real from what’s not, like with holistic psychotherapy.
Just like with other areas of conventional medicine the problem never gets resolved, it’s just a band-aid effect. This approach will keep you coming back for more therapy week after week, year after year, depending on a therapist to maybe temporarily bring you to a more peaceful place.
Even after completely analyzing a situation detail by detail in a mathematical sense, there is the tendency to avoid experiencing the feelings. Often times the pain from previous situations make it too hard to deal with a similar circumstance.
Many are afraid to feel because they don’t want to lose control. Basically, once they start identifying with these feelings, they are afraid they won’t be able to stop the process. This is a natural protective sub-conscious reaction that can be overcome with a conscious effort, recognition of your “true self”, and much practice. However, for individuals who have true personality disorders, this can be quite challenging indeed.
For example, allowing oneself to feel shame for something they denied doing or blamed others for can plummet them into a deep depression so their subconscious mind will prevent that from happening at all costs. This is typical in people with personality disorders like NPD (narcissistic personality disorder). It can take many sessions of intense therapy just to get these types to come to the realization that they have an issue, and that they need to focus on themselves (not others) to make any progress.
So how do people avoid dealing with their negative emotions? Frequently, people deny, hide, repress, and squelch their feelings, pretending they don’t exist. They think that by suppressing the issues they will go away on their own. People also have a tendency to handle emotions in an unhealthy manner by acting on them externally. Some people use and/or abuse alcohol, cigarettes, and/or recreational or hard drugs as a way of coping. Others use food (generally non-healthy choices) while others use sex or gambling. Yet others get depressed or take their pent-up anger out on others. There are many forms of rage, although most people think of rage as screaming uncontrollably and perhaps becoming physically violent being the only form.
I’m sure you also notice that many individuals, especially in today’s busy society, are constantly multitasking and find it very difficult to just sit still, relax, read a book, or meditate. Keeping extra busy (for some individuals) helps them to avoid feeling whatever they are in denial about or suppressing deep in their subconscious mind.
It is important to note that, in general, the expression of emotion can vary according to each culture and level of awareness. Since emotions play such a big role in relationships, taking into consideration others’ cultural backgrounds would be wise if you choose to get involved. Unfortunately, most people do not show their true unconscious emotional weaknesses and insecurities until the relationship advances to an intimate level. Everyone consciously grows at their own pace and at different levels, while some get stuck and don’t really grow much at all emotionally or spiritually.
The following are some examples of how some cultures typically deal with their emotions on an unconscious level:
- European and North American cultures are stereotypically known to be uncomfortable showing their feelings, expressing certain emotions to avoid others. Holding back innate feelings in an attempt to be politically correct is commonplace in most aspects of their lives. They are taught to smile, disregarding their true underlying emotions, and to never express fear, as to avoid being viewed as weak and vulnerable. This only leads to animosity and resentment as these repressed feelings get expressed in some way or another.
- In some parts of India, emotional over-involvement is the norm. If a parental figure does not show emotional over-involvement, it is seen as acting in a careless manner. Consciously speaking, elaborate, obsessive, and excessive emotional reactions most often aggravate a situation further.
- In Japan, people tend not to express negative emotions in front of authority figures. They are very attentive to voice resonance, aiming to have neutral expressions and avoid being disrespectful to authority. Consciously speaking, everyone should be respected and treated equally. Bowing to others based on their “seniority” or stature is fear-based and inauthentic.
- In Israel, anger is expressed openly and more immediately than in Western cultures. Failure to express it is perceived as a weakness, although the opposite is true when approached consciously.
- On the same note, Latin cultures tend to be more divulging of their feelings as well, hiding very little, besides the negative emotions they may stuff stemming from abuse or abandonment. Expressing emotions is one thing, but attaching to them creates much internal conflict.
Feelings that are not faced or recognized fully never go away. They are buried alive and ready to poke their heads out and come to the surface at any given chance. The idea is to identify the emotions you experience immediately, through processing and by expressing them in a positive light. This way they won’t come back to haunt you in the future. Now you can learn from the experience, put it behind you, move on, and grow as you become more aware of your “true self”.
You can either control your emotions, or your emotions can control you! Most people are not conscious-minded so they can only control the way they react to a situation through fear and practice at best. Thought patterns and the emotions that follow are not in your control unless you are practicing mindfulness. The resulting emotions like fear, disappointment, and how you feel about yourself (insecurities) and others are brought on through the belief system and self-image you have developed since you were a child. It is only reality because you believe it to be so. For your “true self” everything is perfect and blissful, but unfortunately few ever get to meet their true selves in their present lifetime!
EMOTIONS & THE BODY
As you see, the interconnectedness of emotions with body-mind-spirit has a big impact on a person’s overall health, with positive emotions having an overall positive impact and vice-versa. The Broaden-and-Build Theory of positive emotions suggests that positive emotions broaden a person’s alertness, and promote thoughts and actions that are new and exploratory. Positivity expands the range of behavioral responses applied in life and builds skills and resources that promote resiliency and enhance survival.
A person who exudes positivity is conscientious, encouraging, emotionally stable, grateful, and speaks kindly of others. These types don’t foresee problems, only solutions! These light radiating qualities shine, attracting others to want to be around you. This positive energy is then transmitted onto others, brightening up their hour or day, spreading hope, confidence, peace, and happiness. The Universe then transcends that positive energy back to you, what I like to call the ‘boomerang effect’. The Universe is reflective, give and take.
Conversely, those that express negative energy and cling to negative emotions project narrow-minded views and actions. These types often speak negatively about others, portray a negative outlook on life, try to control people and situations selfishly, bring you down, feed on your energy, and leave you feeling empty and drained.
Both negative and positive energy can be contagious, so choose who you spend your time with wisely!
The physical effect of emotions on the body is not just a fictitious idea. Fredrickson and other researchers tested her broaden-and-build model of positive emotions. Participants were assigned to watch films that induced positive emotions and films that produced the opposite effect, and their cardiovascular responses were recorded. It was found that those who watched films that induced positive emotions experienced heightened levels of creativity and portrayed a “big picture” perceptual approach to life. In contrast, those who experienced negative emotions had a distinctive cardiovascular reactivity resulting in none of the beneficial outcomes as those who experienced positive emotions. (1)
Another study showed that positive emotions undo the physiological effects of negative emotions. Participants experiencing anxiety-induced cardiovascular reactivity were told to view different types of films. Those who viewed a film that elicited positive emotions showed FASTER cardiovascular recovery than those who watched neutral or sad films. It is concluded therefore that emotions, in general, have a physiological effect on the body. Experiencing positive emotions creates a reaction that assists the body’s healing response and helps to keep delicate pH levels in balance. (2)
Emotions affect numerous body systems, and one of them is the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic system refers to the nervous system that controls involuntary responses like the heart rate. Imbalances of the autonomic system are associated with heart rate variability and increased mortality.
In 2006 researchers studied the relationship between emotions, the autonomic system specifically heart responses, and health. When they induced startle responses in participants, autonomic system imbalances were present. Physically, the participants showed increased heart rates from the stressful emotions induced, proving the connection between negative emotions and their adverse effects on the autonomic nervous system. (3)
Negative emotions in combination with poor diet and lifestyle choices further increase health risks, of course throwing off delicate pH levels, increasing the likelihood of chronic disease initiation.
In another interesting study, Berry & Pennebaker (1993) reviewed literature on emotional expression and health. They found that expressing both verbal and nonverbal emotions, as opposed to repressing those feelings, corresponds to a reduction in excess autonomic nervous system activity. This results in more stable and balanced nervous and cardiovascular systems. In contrast, the absence of emotional expression increases a person’s risk for cardiovascular issues as well as other health problems. The research continues to consent on the direct connection present between emotions and wellness in regard to the damaging effects of negative emotions and the health benefits of positive ones. (4)
As reiterated, emotions must be fully processed in order for one to experience positive interactions with others, and to enjoy stable, healthy lives. Everyone experiences negative emotions, but being overwhelmed by them, and experiencing them recurrently is restrictive and disempowering. Replaying the same old broken record over and over in your head disrupts the irrefutable, ever so powerful connection between the mind, body, and spirit.
Remember that repressed feelings never disappear, but can be rightly identified and controlled with increased awareness and inner work. If left unchecked, pent up negative emotions can be physically manifested in various disease states at many levels, just as physical healing can take place with pure-awareness.
Simply put, a life filled with love-based emotions improves immunity and overall health, whereas constant negativity or repression of emotions subjects you to various disease states both mentally and physically. Keep in mind that putting an effort towards building a strong spiritual foundation (inner growth) expressed through conscious living will allow you to adopt these concepts and a new realization of self over time.
1- Fredrickson, B., & Revenson, R. W. (1998). Positive emotions speed recovery from the cardiovascular sequelae of negative emotions. Cognition & Emotion, 12(2), 191-220.
2- Fredrickson, B. L., Mancuso, R. A., Brangan, C., & Tirade, M. M. (2000). The undoing effect of positive emotions. Motivation and emotion, 24(4), 237-258.
3- Thayer, J. F., & Ruiz-PA dial, E. (2006, April). Neurovascular integration, emotions and health: An update. In International Congress Series (Vol. 1287, pp. 122-127). Elsevier.
4- Berry, D. S., & Pennebaker, J. W. (1993). Nonverbal and verbal emotional expression and health. Psychotherapy and psychosomatics, 59(1), 11-19.
Bhangra, D., & McKenzie, K. (2003). Expressed emotion across cultures. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 9(5), 342-348.