Emotions are an integral part of the human experience, influencing behaviors, decision-making processes, and social interactions. While traditionally considered a mental phenomenon, recent research has illuminated the profound ways in which emotions manifest physically in the body. Understanding this connection can offer insights into emotional awareness, regulation, and the processing of feelings.
The relationship between emotions and bodily sensations has been a subject of exploration since the early days of psychology. Notably, William James famously argued that emotions are not merely feelings occurring in isolation in the mind; instead, they arise from physiological changes in the body. He postulated that "We feel sorry because we cry, angry because we strike, afraid because we tremble." This notion laid the groundwork for what is now regarded as "Embodied Emotion" – the notion that emotional experiences are linked to physical states and sensations.
Empirical research has illustrated how different emotions are felt in various parts of the body. A study by Nummenmaa et al. (2014) utilized a novel self-report tool called emBODY, which allowed participants to indicate on two silhouettes of bodies where they felt emotional sensations occurring. The findings suggested that each emotion is associated with topographically distinct and culturally universal bodily sensations. The emotions studied were anger, fear, disgust, happiness, sadness, surprise, neutrality, anxiety, love, depression, contempt, pride, shame, and envy. Each emotion elicited unique topographical patterns of physical sensation across diverse populations and cultures, pointing toward a somatic aspect embedded in human emotional experiences.
The evidence shows that emotions are associated with a broad range of physiological changes and correspond well with unique patterns of sensation. Basic emotions are associated with elevated activity in the upper chest, likely corresponding to changes in breathing and heart rate. All emotions, except neutrality and depression, are associated with sensations in the head. Approach-oriented emotions, i.e., anger, happiness, love, and pride, are associated with sensations in the upper limbs. Sadness, depression, and shame are associated with sensations of decreased activity in the limbs. Sadness, neutrality, depression, contempt, and envy all are associated with a significant lack of sensation, except for moderate sensation in the head and chest areas. In contrast with the other emotions, love and happiness were associated with the most bodily sensations in total. Happiness in particular was associated with sensations all over the entire body.
There is research suggesting that our gut microbiome may influence memory formation, emotional arousal, and affective behaviors. Damasio AR’s “somatic marker hypothesis” suggests that reasoned decision making is influenced by “somatic markers” (feelings in the body that are associated with emotions, such as a rapid heartbeat with anxiety), and that somatic markers strongly influence subsequent decision-making. The autonomic nervous system regulates heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and digestion, all of which contribute to how we experience emotions. These findings suggest our psychic and physiological experiences are deeply intertwined.
Additionally, variations in interoceptive awareness—the ability to perceive internal bodily signals—may have implications for emotional regulation. Studies show that individuals with heightened interoceptive awareness tend to be better skilled in emotional regulation, suggesting that development of interoceptive awareness can optimize emotional responses and enhance overall well-being. Studies suggest that practicing mindfulness techniques focused on bodily sensations can be a catalyst to such awareness, helping individuals make more adaptive choices in response to their emotional landscape.
By employing techniques that stimulate interoceptive awareness - such as those from mindfulness-based therapies - individuals may be able to cultivate a more profound understanding of their emotions' bodily expressions and learn to harness these awarenesses towards healthier emotional coping strategies. By encouraging individuals to pay closer attention to their bodily sensations and the emotions associated with them, mindfulness-based therapies can enhance interoceptive awareness and play a crucial role in emotional regulation.
In conclusion, our experience of Embodied Emotion encapsulates both the cerebral processes, and the physical responses. A wealth of research has linked our physiological experiences to specific emotional states, and this can be used to better understand human emotions, how emotions drive behavior, how emotions are driven by behavior, and how to better improve overall quality of life for all.
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