In this entry we are going to dissect the parts of the brain to see clearly where emotions come from. The word emotion comes from the Latin emotio which derives entirely from the verb “emovere” and we could translate it into English as “to move or transfer”. When the prefix e-/ex- is added, the meaning is completed as “to make move, withdraw or dislodge”.
Emotions and Feelings
Emotion can therefore be defined as an intense mental state, positive or negative, that arises automatically in the nervous system. Feeling, as opposed to emotion, would then be our subjective experience of a mental state born of the brain.
The Limbic System: routines and threats
The limbic system (from Latin limbus ‘ring’), from an evolutionary point of view, belongs to the primitive part of the encephalon, and in reptilian times was the dominant part of the brain.
The limbic system regulates basic vegetative functions and controls stereotyped reactions and movements. It evolved to handle “fight or flight” situations, i.e., fight or flight, in response to a threat.
Then, millions of years later, these emotional centers evolved into our thinking brain: the neocortex.
The fact that our rational brain evolved from our emotional brain is an indication of the close relationship between thought and emotion.
Amygdala: mediation of emotions
The amygdala is a two-core, almond-shaped structure located in the two cerebral hemispheres, and its function is to mediate and control emotions.
A lesion in the amygdala causes a loss of affective perception of the world: the subject can recognize a person accurately, but is unable to know whether he/she likes him/her or not.
Prefrontal cortex: responsibility and reasoning
The prefrontal cortex, for its part, plays a fundamental role in defining a person’s “character”, as it controls mood, emotional state, sense of responsibility and even higher reasoning abilities.
Damage to this part of the brain appears to result in the loss of a sense of responsibility, the ability to concentrate and abstraction.
One of the reasons for adolescents’ unconsciousness may be that the prefrontal cortex is not yet fully developed.
How we express our emotions
We express our emotions by activating certain muscles. This works for us as well as for animals, but we have more control over it.
Several researchers have tried to identify primary emotions, i.e., those emotions that cannot be broken down into other emotions.
Several researchers have given different answers, ranging from Mowrer’s theory, in which there are only two primary emotions: pain and pleasure, to about eight by other researchers. The two most popular theories are those of Ekman and Plutchik.
We express our emotions primarily through our facial expressions.
Although we can adopt a facial expression voluntarily, there are two different nerve circuits for the facial muscles, one of which is involuntary.
The activation of a particular emotion can also activate involuntary circuits, so-called “micro-expressions”, i.e. very brief moments in which the actual emotion is expressed. It is therefore impossible to completely deny the expression of an emotion.
So our mind arises from our brain, our brain arises from our emotions, feelings are our subjective view of emotional states, we can control emotions but never completely hide them.
