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World Of Emotions

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by Viswamitra, May 8, 2021.

  1. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Traditionally, the psychologist categorized various emotions by measuring the movement of muscles, facial expressions, body language and words expressed. They standardized the emotions into various categories and felt that the emotions are the same across the world irrespective of culture and environment we were all raised in. To support this view, many people across the world were shown facial expressions of the actors and most people across the world categorized such emotions the same way. That created a fingerprint of each emotion to be defined. The assumption one makes is emotions are triggered based on actions made or words expressed by others or how our mind reacted to after assimilating such actions and words.

    The new development indicates that emotions are not triggered but constructed by each mind based on the concepts built inside of it. Emotions are not hard-wired, cannot be detected through facial expressions, there are no standards for emotions across people, nations or cultures, there are no distinct parts of the brain dedicated to specific emotions and lastly, emotions are not subtle reactions to external events. The emotions are concepts that are constructed by the brain.

    It is true that our brain is a warehouse of our experiences and lessons learned out of them, but it would take a long time for it to consider thousands of old memories, one at a time. The processing speed of our brain is not constructed to analyze and interpret gigabytes of data instantly and therefore our brain uses concepts. A concept is like a summary report built by our brain from the metadata of past experiences. Concepts are labels or categories that our brain assigns to make sense of the world around us. When we encounter an experience, the brain is not investigating what it is and instead it finds what it is comparable with from the stored memory in the brain. In simple terms, our brain is constantly trying to categorize everything we perceive into an existing category. It instantly presents the probability as opposed to a definitive decision built from its detailed analysis.

    To act more quickly, the brain starts reacting even before it has received all the data. It simulates or predicts what is likely to happen and hence it is merely a guess with no definitive data reviewed with precision. Prediction is a fundamental activity of the human brain that some scientists consider it the brain’s default mode of operation. The analytical brain cannot provide instant solution and therefore can provide only predictive models of our experiences. That is why the longer the discrimination, the better the decision is.

    Therefore, the profound conclusion we can derive is that the simulation we create in our heads is more real to us than the physical world. Therefore, what one sees, hears, touches, tastes, smells are simulations of the world and can vary from person to person. We might think that our perception of the world is driven by the events in the world, but really, most of what we experience is based on our internal predictions. The data from our senses are only 10% when the other 90% are connections from the parts of our brain, making predictions about what we are experiencing.

    Then the question may arise what would happen when the brain’s prediction is wrong? It can change predictions to match what the senses experienced but it is likely to do the opposite meaning it could stick with the original prediction and filter the incoming data to match its prediction pretty much like how the media organizations present data matching with their views. In clear terms, our brain is wired for delusion and our experiences are nothing but an elaborate world of our own creation.

    This knowledge is available in the ancient wisdom which is why they advised living in the present moment instead of memories, avoid building desires and attachments which are our brain’s concepts, control the mind that constantly creates concepts, to experience reality through meditation and yoga. In the sanskrit word "Aum", the small curve in the main letter is waking state, a large, elongated curve is the dreaming state and the one that projects sidewards from the main letter is deep-sleep state and the curve above the main letter is the maya and the dot above the letter is the reality that is immortal. We dwell in these three states accepting the concepts as apparent reality as opposed to ultimate reality beyond the illusion (maya). If the mind subordinates the one reality that powers it instead of relying on its own power drawn from the reality (like the moon drawing the light from the Sun), then, the distinction that is created by the duality becomes part of the whole reality. Let us move away from the concept to reality.
     
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  2. Srama

    Srama Finest Post Winner

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    Dear V sir,

    a very difficult sunject to touch....emotions! Everything you speak of, makes sense and completely but to practice? oh boy! One of the strategies that has helped me cope with overwhelming emotions and not all the time is stepping back and asking as to why I reacted the way I did and sir, it always leads me to a memory - but it is a laboriuos process but I have to tell you that it has helped me a lot. Now, the question my students ask me day after day is "what makes me angry" that I would punish them or yell at them. They find it hard to figure out the 'dark side' of me :) Going beyond those emotions (reactions) and expereincing bliss is something I donot know if possible at all.
     
  3. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Sabitha,

    Thank you for your response. It is very interesting to read your response that your students find it hard to figure out why you get angry. That is precisely why emotions are constructed and not triggered. The mind of each person reacts based on the concepts each one has built. It is difficult to standardize emotions. There is no specific place in our brain that handles all emotion and they are part of the reaction of the mind that happens even before all associated data and past experiences are analyzed by our brain.

    In the book, "Holographic Universe", the author Michael Talbot explains that we have a misconception that seeing means the image of what we see falling in the screen inside our retina. In fact, as soon as we see an image, that data is analyzed by the brain and compared with all that we have stored in our memory and in a split second compared with what we had seen before. Therefore, we are constructing the image more than seeing it.

    Ancient wisdom says that both waking and dreaming states are unreal. We have to cross the border of the constructed world (Maya) to reach out to the blissful state.
     
  4. Srama

    Srama Finest Post Winner

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    Dear V sir,

    I realized I have framed the sentence wrong. I should have paraphrased better :) I am one of the teachers who rarely gets angry at school and my classroom ususally is joyful, and though students have a lot of freedom, yet the most well behaved class in school. So on occasion that I do flip, they want to know what made me angry! I always pause to listen to these munchkins for I get many answers.
    I like what you say about not being able to standardize emotions. Just yesterday i was having conversation about manas, chitha, buddhi and what not and still find it all difficult to comprehend. All we can do is work on ourselves and if possible help others to teach to work on thier own emotions. Thank you for referencing to that book. Hopefully I will spend some time reading it.
     
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  5. Balajee

    Balajee IL Hall of Fame

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    Easier said than done Viswa. I don't go for the esoteric stuff. But a rational mind objectively analyses things uncluttered by emotions and desires and projects a future based on present factss. Emotions can be extremely misguiding.
     
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  6. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Thank you Sabitha for your second response. It is always interesting to listen to the children. They always ask unique questions. Their questions have no strings attached.

    It is true all we can do is to refine ourselves and that is possible only when we become observing of our thoughts, feelings and emotions.
     
  7. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    In my view, the mind is energized by our consciousness and it is our mind that drifts away from conforming to the rules of the nature. What is a rational mind and who decides it? What is the birth place of emotions? We need to understand these things for us to understand our mind.
     
  8. hrastro

    hrastro Platinum IL'ite

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    Dear Viswa ji!
    From your essay, I am reminded of Chapter 2 of Bhagavad Gita - the introduction of the word Sthita pragya (स्थितप्रज्ञ) - one whose mind doesn't get affected by emotions! Especially Sloka 62, 63, 64 details how we lose control of our emotions.

    Hope I'm not deviating from the soul of your write up too much! I thought Krishna in Bhagavad Gita was able to explain my views much better than what I could write as a response to your thoughts!

    Sloka 54 starts with questions by Arjuna -

    स्थितप्रज्ञस्य का भाषा समाधिस्थस्य केशव | स्थितधी: किं प्रभाषेत किमासीत व्रजेत किम् || 54||
    Arjuna asks - O Keshav, what is the disposition of one who is situated in divine consciousness? How does an enlightened person talk? How does he sit? How does he walk?

    Srikrishna responds -
    श्रीभगवानुवाच |
    प्रजहाति यदा कामान्सर्वान्पार्थ मनोगतान् | आत्मन्येवात्मना तुष्ट: स्थितप्रज्ञस्तदोच्यते || 55||
    O Parth, when one discards all selfish desires and cravings of the senses that torment the mind, and becomes satisfied in the realization of the self, such a person is said to be transcendentally situated.

    दु:खेष्वनुद्विग्नमना: सुखेषु विगतस्पृह: | वीतरागभयक्रोध: स्थितधीर्मुनिरुच्यते || 56||
    One whose mind remains undisturbed amidst misery, who does not crave for pleasure, and who is free from attachment, fear, and anger, is called a sage of steady wisdom.

    य: सर्वत्रानभिस्नेहस्तत्तत्प्राप्य शुभाशुभम् | नाभिनन्दति न द्वेष्टि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता || 57||
    One who remains unattached under all conditions, and is neither delighted by good fortune nor dejected by tribulation, he is a sage with perfect knowledge.

    यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वश: | इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता || 58||
    One who is able to withdraw the senses from their objects, just as a tortoise withdraws its limbs into its shell, is established in divine wisdom.

    विषया विनिवर्तन्ते निराहारस्य देहिन: | रसवर्जं रसोऽप्यस्य परं दृष्ट्वा निवर्तते || 59||
    Aspirants may restrain the senses from their objects of enjoyment, but the taste for the sense objects remains. However, even this taste ceases for those who realizes the Supreme.

    यततो ह्यपि कौन्तेय पुरुषस्य विपश्चित: | इन्द्रियाणि प्रमाथीनि हरन्ति प्रसभं मन: || 60||
    The senses are so strong and turbulent, O son of Kunti, that they can forcibly carry away the mind even of a person endowed with discrimination and practising self-control.

    तानि सर्वाणि संयम्य युक्त आसीत मत्पर: | वशे हि यस्येन्द्रियाणि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता || 61||
    They are established in perfect knowledge, who subdue their senses and keep their minds ever absorbed in me.

    ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंस: सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते | सङ्गात्सञ्जायते काम: कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते || 62||
    While contemplating on the objects of the senses, one develops attachment to them. Attachment leads to desire, and from desire arises anger.

    क्रोधाद्भवति सम्मोह: सम्मोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रम: | स्मृतिभ्रंशाद् बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति || 63||
    Anger leads to clouding of judgement, which results in bewilderment of the memory. When the memory is bewildered, the intellect gets destroyed; and when the intellect is destroyed, one is ruined.

    रागद्वेषवियुक्तैस्तु विषयानिन्द्रियैश्चरन् | आत्मवश्यैर्विधेयात्मा प्रसादमधिगच्छति || 64||
    But one who controls the mind, and is free from attachment and aversion, even while using the objects of the senses, attains the Grace of God.

    प्रसादे सर्वदु:खानां हानिरस्योपजायते | प्रसन्नचेतसो ह्याशु बुद्धि: पर्यवतिष्ठते || 65||
    By divine grace comes the peace in which all sorrows end, and the intellect of such a person of tranquil mind soon becomes firmly established in God.

    Keep smiling
    HR
     
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  9. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    @hrastro,

    Thank you for your response and I always enjoy reading your responses. We have a weekly Bhagavad Study class every Thursday and we went over the above Slokas only 3 months back. Isn't it interesting to know that what the scientists are discovering now about emotions and how they are constructed are explained well in this ancient scripture? As long as we have raga and dvesha, the mind functions in duality. Desires and attachments are the root cause of man's grief. In Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, grief is classified into 3 categories: a) grief caused by the unreality of the apparent, b) grief caused by want of knowledge or wrong apprehension on account of the limitations of our instruments of perception and inference or on account of the mystery of the divine phenomenon that subsists in everything, and c) the grief caused by the dealth, disintegration or dissolution of things which we held to be real.

    For those who have not studied ancient wisdom or didn't have time to dive into it due to various challenges, it is best to learn how our mind works from the new scientific development perspective. If one had to understand the divinity that exists in everything, one needs to understand what is not real. The study of the mind and senses are essential.
     
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