THEORY
A Unified Theory of Emotion
PROPOSITIONS:
- Fuzziness in words helps keep us off-track on emotions.
For example, the words FEAR, SADNESS, ANGER, and HAPPINESS are not just EMOTIONS all by themselves, but also they are used to refer to categories of EMOTION.
- Revising our definitions helps get us on track with our emotions.
CORE HYPOTHESIS #1:
- Knowing the SENSATION, movement and meaning of any EMOTION or FEELING makes us more effective in working with it.
COROLLARIES TO HYPOTHESIS #1:
• Every EMOTION and FEELING
Has a specific movement and meaning.
• Nothing is ever “just” physical.
Physical
reactions always have both physical and emotional meaning.
• Nothing is ever “just” emotional.
Emotions are both physical
and psychological.
For example:
A bitter taste is always a bitter experience, no matter how trivial.
For example:
If you’re in an emotional slump, it’s harder to sit up straight.
CORE HYPOTHESIS #2:
- There are four pure EMOTIONS each of which has a unique SENSATION. FEAR, SADNESS, ANGER and HAPPINESS are the four pure EMOTIONS. Vibration, stillness, pressure and lightness are the respective four pure SENSATIONS.
The Four Pure Emotions
EMOTIONS Action Feels like... FEAR Energize Loose vibration SADNESS Digest experience Soft stillness ANGER Change action Tension/Pressure HAPPINESS Go same direction Lightness/Momentum
CORE HYPOTHESIS #3:
- In the same sense that red, yellow and blue are the three pure colors that can combine to form seven primary colors, the four pure emotions combine to form 22 primary emotions.
- In other words, in the same way that artists mix the pure colors to get other colors, SENSATIONS can be mixed to produce new SENSATIONS.
In the following charts, the >, =, and < signs indicate the relative intensity of the two pure emotions.
“ > ” means “the first emotion has greater intensity than the second emotion in the mixture.”
“ = ” means “the first emotion is equal in intensity to the second emotion in the mixture.”
“ < ” means “the first emotion has less intensity than the second emotion in the mixture.”Mixing the vibration of FEAR with
the stillness of SADNESS we get ..
SENSATION Feels like EMOTION Tells us tingling vibration > stillness VIGILANCE Watch out breaking vibration = stillness PAIN Receive information numbness vibration < stillness INDIFFERENCE Stop caring
Mixing the vibration of FEAR with
the pressure of ANGER we get ..
SENSATION Feels like EMOTION Tells us pulling vibration > tension AVOIDANCE Dodge, or retreat touching vibration = tension COURAGE Balance retreat with advance pushing vibration < tension AGGRESSIVENESS Advance
Mixing the vibration of FEAR with
the lightness of HAPPINESS we get ..
SENSATION Feels like EMOTION Tells us startling vibration > lightness SUPRISE Something different but OK happened jumping vibration = lightness JOY Something is great wiggling vibration < lightness EXCITEMENT Something good is starting
Mixing the stillness of SADNESS with
the pressure of ANGER we get ..
SENSATION Feels like EMOTION Tells us contraction stillness > tension HELPESSNESS Don't act waiting stillness = tension PATIENCE Wait flailing stillness < tension IMPATIENCE Act now
Mixing the stillness of SADNESS with
the lightness of HAPPINESS we get ..
SENSATION Feels like EMOTION Tells us resistance stillness > lightness PESSIMISM Orient toward bad outcome absorbtion stillness = lightness HUMILITY Take in what comes stretching stillness < lightness OPTIMISM Orient toward good outcome
Mixing the stillness of ANGER with
the lightness of HAPPINESS we get ..
SENSATION Feels like EMOTION Tells us holding tension > lightness SELFISNESS Hold on manipulation tension = lightness COMPASSION Balance holding on with letting go releasing tension < lightness UNSELFISHNESS Let go
CORE HYPOTHESIS #4
- This Alphabet of Emotion is the “ABC’s” of emotion and feelings.
- In other words, every EMOTION and FEELING is composed of some combination of the 22 primary sensations in the ‘Alphabet of Emotion’.
- These movements (also sensations and emotions) apply even to the cellular level.
COROLLARIES TO HYPOTHESIS #4
- The seriousness of misunderstanding or misperceiving
emotions vastly exceeds the seriousness of differences in perceptions
about colors. - Everyone needs to overcome habits of suppressing
or ignoring SENSATIONS in order to allow your emotions to communicate
to you physically.
To overcome habits of mental suppression of your body‘s SENSATIONS, you need to be good at the moving with the movements of the primary SENSATIONS.
Here’s how to move with the four pure EMOTIONS.
To ‘physicalize’ FEAR...
Since FEAR feels like vibration, or shaking, which heats up your body...- Shake all over like a Labrador retriever shaking out a coat full of water, spraying water everywhere.
- Do the ‘Elvis’ (knees vibrating toward and away from each other, elbows flapping in and out).
- Do the Twist (churning your limbs around your spine like a washing machine churning clothes)
- Jiggle a leg, or twitch some muscle, or an eye...or just blink fast, repeatedly.
- To let your face fully show fear, make a jaw-dropped ‘O’ of your mouth, and open your eyes wide. Take fast, shallow, panting breaths.
To ‘physicalize’ SADNESS...
Since SADNESS feels like stillness, which quiets your body and mind...- Lean on your hand, or tip over onto your side on some pillows. Then, just breathe.
- Breathe easily in and out your nose to emphasize the digestive activity of sadness—‘respiration’ is ‘digestion' at the cellular level.
- Let your face rest. Imagine tensions anywhere in your body as coiled, dark springs. See them losing all their tension and loosely dropping to the ground, to be absorbed and recycled by Mother Earth.
- Let your mind rest. Thank both your good and bad thoughts for wanting to help. Then imagine putting them in bubbles or balloons and letting them float up and away, into your unconsciousness.
To ‘physicalize’ ANGER...
Since ANGER feels like tension, which is the experience- Narrow your eyes and compress your lips into a horizontal line, teeth firmly together.
- Tighten all your muscles—abdominal and back muscles and straightened arms, legs, fingers and toes. Hold, isometrically for a few seconds, then release.
- If you care to repeat the sequence several times, you will note that a physical SENSATION of lightness will occur after several repetitions: the HAPPINESS that comes from safe application of ANGER.
- Breathe firmly and fully in your nose, exhale fully and firmly out your nose.
- If you care to repeat that breathing for a while, you will note that you will feel light-headed (hyper-ventilated): the feeling of runaway HAPPINESS that you can’t use quickly enough, from not applying your ANGER constructively.
To physicalize HAPPINESS...
Since HAPPINESS feels like lightness, which is the experience of momentum in your body...- Sitting or standing, move in a dance-like, sinuous wave of your spine.
- Wave your mostly straightened arms and fingers.
- Wave your legs and toes without any sharp bends in joints.
- Smile with slightly parted lips, and bright eyes.
- Breathe lightly in and out your nose.
- If you have trouble getting a light SENSATION, go back to ANGER section above, and repeat tightening and letting go until lightness comes. Use the swaying and waving movements of this exercise to help the SENSATIONS of HAPPINESS reach your consciousness.
For how to ‘physicalize’ other emotions...
Click here
CORE HYPOTHESIS #5:
- Every emotion is made up of five feelings:
- A drive (representing the “body” or purely physical level of experience).
- A passion (representing the “heart” or individual giftedness level of experience).
- An intuition (representing the “soul” or balancing, navigational level of experience).
- A perception (representing the “mind” or ordering of present level of experience).
- An expectation (representing the “spirit” or integration of past, present and future levels of experience).
An Alphabet of Feelings and Emotions
CORE HYPOTHESIS #6:
- Certain parts of your body specialize in expressing and experiencing each of the four pure SENSATIONS.
COROLLARIES TO HYPOTHESIS #6:
- One division is a simple segmenting of the body (see An Anatomy of Feelings below).
- One division is by meridians that originate in fingers and toes:
- Little finger to little toe = body (drives) meridian.
- Ring finger to fourth toe = heart (passions) meridian.
- Middle finger to third toe = soul (intuitions)meridian.
- Index finger to second toe = mind (perceptions) meridian.
- Thumb to big toe = spirit (expectations) meridian
Note: Utilization of this level of division is practiced in yoga-Tantric “mudras” or finger positions.
- One division is biochemical (see below).
- One division is cellular (not clarified yet: membrane = body? nucleus = heart?)
A Preliminary Biochemistry of Emotions
Pure Fear = Adrenaline
Pure Sadness = Serotonin
Pure Anger = Norepinephrine
Pure Happiness = Dopamine
CORE HYPOTHESIS #7:
- The energy expressed biochemically, physically and psychologically in organisms is correlated with all energy.
COROLLARLIES TO HYPOTHESIS # 7:
- In terms of classical physics:
- Fear corresponds to heat.
- Sadness corresponds to space/time.
- Anger corresponds to force.
- Happiness corresponds to light.
- In terms of quantum physics:
- Fear corresponds to the weak force.
- Sadness corresponds to gravity.
- Anger corresponds to the strong force.
- Happiness corresponds to electromagnetism.
A Unified Theory of Personality coming soon.
DR.
SHARON SAYS:
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