How feelings are born. Formula of love: how does a real feeling appear? Feeling of anger and fear - tonsils

Scientists have been studying the brain for more than 100 years, but so far this remains a complex mystery to humans. How does the brain work? No neuroscientist will answer this question today. We are only able to understand some phenomena that occur in the neural networks of the brain and how they are reflected in our condition. So how are human emotions formed, and in which particular areas of the brain are feelings born?

A few words about emotions

Emotions are one of the manifestations of a person’s relationship to himself and to surrounding reality. Today, scientists know a lot about the formation of emotions and the mechanisms of their occurrence, which made it possible to control them. So, a competent psychologist can do a good job with a person’s emotions, giving him the opportunity to cope with their negative manifestations, in particular, to overcome fear, anger and other conditions that prevent a person from enjoying life.

There are many words that explain certain emotional shades - joy, grief, compassion, fear, anger, jealousy, pity, indifference, love, and many others. If we consider the emotion purely from a physiological point of view, then it is a reaction of the body to the effects of some internal and external stimuli. Such reactions are clearly subjective and, as a rule, cover all types of sensitivity.

You need to understand that emotions are manifested not only in certain subjective experiences, but also quite objective manifestations. For example, with a particular emotion, a person performs certain actions, facial expressions are expressed and vegetative reactions specific to that emotion are manifested.

Feeling of guilt and shame - temporal lobes

It is easy enough for us to understand how the brain operates with memory and the thought process. But what about feelings? We are so used to phrases like “to break the heart” when it comes to sadness, or “burst into flames” when we describe shame. In this sense, it is quite difficult for us to accept the fact that emotions and feelings, as well as the thought process and memory, are formed in the brain. And yet, this is so. Emotions are a neurophysiological process that occurs in the tissues of the brain. Today, thanks to neuroimaging technologies, scientists can evaluate this process.

A group of scientists from Ludwig Maximilian University (Munich), led by Petra Michal, conducted a series of interesting studies to identify areas of the brain that are responsible for guilt and shame. After conducting many MRI images of the brain, scientists found that anatomically these two emotions are adjacent.

The experimenters asked the study participants to imagine that they feel severe guilt or shame, and in both cases, such emotions activated the temporal lobes of the brain. It should be noted that shame involved in them the anterior cingulate cortex, which is responsible for communication with the external environment and informs the person of errors, as well as the para-hippocampal gyrus, which is responsible for remembering scenes and memories from the past. As for guilt, she, in turn, activated the lateral occipital-temporal gyrus and the middle temporal gyrus. This is the center of the vestibular analyzer.

In addition, the ashamed people began to activate the front and middle frontal gyrus, and those who felt guilty also activated the amygdala and islet lobe. As for the last two zones of the brain, they enter the limbic system, which regulates our basic emotions, such as “hit or run,” as well as the work of internal organs, blood pressure and other processes and reactions.

When comparing MRI images of the brain of people of different sexes, scientists discovered a curious fact. So, for women, for example, wine affected only the temporal lobes, and for men, the frontal lobes, occipital lobes and tonsils also began to work. These are some of the most ancient brain elements that are responsible for the feeling of fear, panic, anger and pleasure.

Feeling of anger and fear - tonsils

The limbic system of the brain is responsible for the feelings, actions and reactions necessary for the survival of the species. The limbic system is formed during fetal development. The tonsils are the most important element of the limbic system - structures located near the hypothalamus. Tonsils are activated when a person sees food, a sexual partner, crying children, rivals, and so on. The reaction of the body to the source of fear is also the work of the amygdala. For example, if you return home at night, and along the way it seems to you that someone is chasing you, then this is also the work of the tonsils. In the course of several independent studies conducted in various centers and universities, specialists were able to find out that even artificial stimulation of these areas causes a person to feel imminent danger.

As for anger, it turned out that it also arises due to the activity of the amygdala. At the same time, scientists managed to find out that according to physiological parameters, anger is very different from fear, sadness and other adverse emotions. It is not paradoxical, but in this sense, human anger is surprisingly similar to happiness. Thus, anger pushes us to move forward, as joy and pleasure, while fear and grief force a person to step back. In a state of anger, rage and anger in the brain, various areas are activated, because for the realization of this emotion the brain needs to evaluate the situation, as well as turn to memory, experience, normalize the production of necessary hormones and do a lot of other work in order to fully prepare the body for this feeling .

Feeling of joy and laughter - prefrontal cortex and hippocampus

In moments when we experience joy, happiness, laugh and smile, then at this time a large number of different sites are activated in the brain. This also involves the familiar amygdala, as well as the prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus and the cortex of the anterior islet lobe of the cerebrum. Thus, joy, as well as anger and fear, cover almost the entire brain.

Scientists have found that at the moment of joy in a person, the right tonsil becomes a little more active than the left. It is a fairly common opinion that the left hemisphere of the brain is responsible for logical processes, and the right - for creativity. However, today scientists know that this is not so, because to fulfill most of the functions the brain actually needs both parts, despite the fact that the asymmetry of the hemispheres really exists. For example, large centers of speech are located on the left side, and the zone that is responsible for processing intonation is located on the right side.

The prefrontal cortex is closely connected with the limbic system of the brain. The latter represents several areas of the frontal lobes of the brain located in the front of the hemispheres, directly behind the frontal bone. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for our ability to set goals and set plans, achieve results, and change direction and even improvise. Studies show that in women in moments of happiness, the prefrontal cortex of the left hemisphere is slightly more active than the right.

The hippocampus is another anatomical structure of the brain that helps a person to separate important emotional events from secondary ones. Thus, a person keeps strong emotions in his memory for a long time, and insignificant ones - quickly forgets. That is, the hippocampus evaluates the significance of a happy emotion for placing it in a memory archive. This is achieved, among other things, due to the activity of the anterior islet lobe of the brain, which is also associated with the limbic system. It has been established that the islet lobe of the large brain behaves most actively when a person experiences pleasant or sad feelings.

Feeling of tenderness and comfort - somatosensory cortex

At the same time, many other studies show that companionship is good for a person physically and spiritually. It prolongs life and improves its quality. Even the touch of the hand of a person who is dear to you greatly alleviates sorrow and pain. This is due to the release of specific neurotransmitters - oxytocin and opioids. They are produced in moments of tenderness.

Using tomographic studies, it was found that affection and tenderness cause a strong surge of activity in the somatosensory cortex of the brain, which is responsible for our tactile sensations. Scientists have come to the conclusion that the impulses that arise in moments when someone gently touches our body, especially in difficult minutes, are associated with the process of isolating critical stimuli from the general stream that can change everything for us. Researchers also noticed that the participants in the experiment experienced grief easier when a stranger held them in the hand, and much easier when they were touched by a loved one.

Instead of a conclusion

Despite the active study of the brain, so far, scientists have not been able to accurately determine what constitutes emotion. Today it is known that many senses are born in the limbic system, which is an ancient brain structure. However, scientists are aware that not everything that we traditionally recognize as emotions is actually them. For example, if we consider such a state as lust, then from a physiological point of view it does not at all resemble fear or joy. It was found that during lust, impulses are formed not in the tonsils, but in the ventral striatum - the so-called “center of reward”. For example, this area is also activated when we eat delicious food and during orgasm.

A PHOTO Getty images

For many centuries, mankind has been struggling with the answer to the formula of love, trying to understand why the presence of a particular person can turn our lives around, why we fall in love with some and don’t notice others, and is it possible to make someone love us? There are still no answers to these questions. But still, science has advanced far in the study of the mechanisms of love. For example, I found out whom we fall in love with more often.

So, the biologist Klaus Vedekind (Claus Wedekind) found a direct connection between attraction and smell. As it turned out, we are drawn to those whose immune system is different from ours. That is, nature gives us a signal - the offspring with this partner will be strong and beautiful. Therefore, the color of the hair, the shape of the eyes and lips, the natural smell, the pitch of the voice - all these physical features can become “identification marks” for the ideal partner, the most harmonious from the genetic point of view of the couple.

Another important nuance in the birth of love is an emotional connection. Love arises from a feeling of intimacy, which may be even stronger than physical attraction. And in order to better determine compatibility, you just need to quickly and honestly show who you really are.

How to understand that your new relationship has a future?

Are opposites attracted?

Are we often attracted to “soul mates” or are we constantly confronted with our own antipodes? Experts believe that warm relationships work best for people who are alike. This feeling of intimacy, a certain resemblance fuels the relationship. “Shared views contribute to a better understanding of each other,” says psychologist Gian Gonzaga of the University of California. “And disagreements in the long run become the cause of growing misunderstanding on both sides, which will have to be overcome all the time.”

We are unconsciously looking for someone who would help us “fashion” perfection from ourselves

Opposites can really be attracted by the Michelangelo phenomenon. Just as we determine the ideal of a future partner, we create an image of our ideal self and sometimes unconsciously look for someone who would help us “fashion” perfection from ourselves. And we fall in love with a person who contains all the qualities that we lack in ourselves.

Attractive flaws

“Each of us, as a teenager, has formed for himself a set of those character traits of other people, “their values, preferences, and behaviors toward us that appeal to us,” says anthropologist Helen Fisher, “but at the same time, these traits need not be pleasant.” Imagine a girl whose alcoholic father turned her life into chaos - in the end, she decides that she will never marry such a person. Having matured, she does not choose an impulsive alcoholic as her husband, but marries a constantly busy actor. What did she look for in a partner? She will not say spontaneity, but she is so used to it. This is part of her ideal. ”

People tend to think that their view of the world is the only true one. It is not surprising that a person who agrees with our opinion immediately seems to us pretty

While falling in love, we may not notice the negative qualities of a partner, but with age and experience our judgment will become more accurate and deep. “We can draw conclusions from small notes and speculations based on our experience,” explains Gian Gonzaga. “For example, after breaking up after a long relationship or marriage, you will most likely feel insecure on a date, but you will have experience that can help you avoid problems and mistakes in a new relationship.”

Love does not endure fuss?

We don't always fall in loveat first sight, feeling may come later. More often, it takes time to start a sincere and strong relationship. “Kate and I got into the same company with a difference of a month, and I immediately had the feeling that we could become good friends, but she worked in a different department,” recalls John. - Once we met with her at the same meeting, and I noticed in her purse a book of my favorite author. I asked how she was to her, and her eyes lit up. Thus began our first conversation. "

Acquaintance is an exciting event, because it is an instant assessment of each other. It is important not only to boldly declare your interests and tastes, but also to try to delve into others. “This can be key in a nascent relationship, as people tend to think that their view of the world is the only true one,” says Gian Gonzaga. “So it’s not surprising when we immediately like the person who agrees with our opinion even more.”

Why is it impossible?

There can be many reasons why the relationship does not add up, and all of them, of course, are individual. But if it seemed to you that you found the perfect match, and the union did not work out, you might recognize yourself in these situations.

You have similar flaws.

Sometimes we meet people with whom we formally have a lot in common, we pursue similar goals and are proud of similar achievements, but on an intuitive level we feel some kind of flaw in them. Why is this happening? “We often project past experiences onto new people,” says psychotherapist Toby Ingham. “We have a tendency to interpret the behavior of others with our own ideas about life, to let events pass through the filter of our experience - all this is the influence of the scenario that we have in our unconscious.”

Antipathy can be caused by the fact that you recognize your own shortcomings in the rejected person

Antipathy can be caused by the fact that you recognize your own shortcomings in the rejected person. For example, a woman who constantly refuses men because they are “too cute”. In fact, it is her fear of looking weak that makes others suspect this quality and blame them for it.

Are you afraid to open

We always try to please new friends, make a good impression. For example, we come up with interesting hobbies to attract attention at a party. This type of manipulation is usually harmless. Such people can be called seekers of approval - they immediately calculate what the interlocutor likes, and adjust to his expectations and needs.

Approval hunters easily adapt in a group, immediately having the team members to themselves. But when it comes to creating deeper relationships, those who seek approval have a hard time: close, intimate communication is difficult for them. Their ability to quickly adapt to other people hides those of their true features that they do not want to detect. In relationships, they are incredulous and suspicious, which prevents them from opening to their loved one.

But in order to experience real feelings, you need to show your face. Only in this way will you be able to understand whether you really fit together.

Women who believe that a man can be in love with themselves are deeply mistaken. This is explained by the fact that the stronger sex falls in love with the subconscious, so seductresses should not rely only on external gloss, effect, or intentional manipulation.

Everything that men realize is completely irrelevant to love. That is why quite often attractive, smart, tender and sexy women are left alone, perplexed as to why "men always choose just what".

How do manipulative templates work? A vivid example: a girl puts on a mini, a blouse with a deep neckline, does catchy makeup. This helps to play on the "animal instinct" of the opposite sex, but we are not talking about real seduction. Looking at you, the “male” thinks about the following: “Here come the cool priests and breasts. I wish they could be squeezed stronger!” Seduction begins only when the man himself cannot explain why he is attracted to you.

So, your challenge is not thrown to passions hidden in someone else’s soul, but only to gross lust, which is connected not with you personally, but with the weaker sex as a whole. Unfortunately, such situations occur all the time. Only one thought ripens in a man’s head: "This chick put on defiant clothes to excite, and I want this woman. However, if that beauty or her girlfriend is in the same miniskirt, then I will be pulled by them."

Of course, the visual effects, the behavior of a woman, her words can attract attention, hook, that is, affect the consciousness of the representative of the stronger sex. But the subconscious, in which feelings are born, remains unconquered, because neither intrigue, nor playful behavior, nor lust will help here.

Perhaps some readers will immediately ask themselves the question: why do men who care about me sometimes fall in love with me? This is because, in the company of "uninteresting" men, a woman does not think about how she will like those present; she is liberated, because subconscious mind is not blocked. Men do not feel the threat either: nothing portends that they will be seized on, and then they will take all measures to “ring” the chosen one.

Any representative of the stronger sex subconsciously knows how to distinguish between “their own” and “alien” woman - the enemy, which uses “violent” seduction for their own goals, for the future with a “victim”. I immediately recall a popular saying that you won’t be forcibly sweet. So it is with the subconscious: access to it through coercion, attack - is impossible!

In order to fall in love with a man, you need to find the key to his subconscious through ... your own! A woman should care not only about how to look beautiful or how to handle correctly, for example, with cutlery and glasses in a restaurant, but also to comprehend a more subtle and complex science - the ability to feel men as herself.

Already in the conversation you will know what and how to talk to another person, where to pause, ask a question, use facial expressions, etc. The result will not be long in coming: you will see that you constantly hit the target, that you manage to win over a man who is opening up more and more, reaching out for you, and starting to communicate more at ease. Simply put, he lets himself in, gradually opening his soul.

So, let's draw some conclusions from what we read:

Men are seduced by those women who do not show a clear interest, do not try to impress.

The strong sex circles only around those charming women who perceive them as a “look”, but feminists find themselves overboard.
Love, groom, pamper yourself, dear women! Believe me, those around you (including men) will begin to treat you the same way. Who treats himself with tenderness and care, that causes a desire to take care of his person. Not a single woman who skillfully uses an ax and an oar evokes a desire to come up to her and help, but on the contrary, causes a desire to watch the picture to the end, with a clear interest and a question in her head - "will she grab or not grab", cut down this tree or not overpower.
If you can let a man go at the subconscious level, then he is 99% in no hurry to leave you. A paradox, but it is a fact.

And now, an example from life:

Once, an elderly woman came to me for a consultation for advice. (Let's call her, for example, Natasha, for the convenience of the story, I will not say my real name so as not to accidentally injure a person). How is she to be? I met a man - Valery. It’s good for everyone: of a pleasant appearance, there is money, housing is also available, not married, but ... one thing. The man immediately set his conditions. Natasha said something like this: “I’m a handsome man, I’m not deprived of female attention, I have a good position in society, I am well off financially and practically do not need anything, therefore I don’t intend to run after you and fulfill all your whims as a freshman. Let's run for me". Natalia in a panic, what to do? I re-read so many books, so many women's trainings passed, they say everywhere, a man is a hunter, give him the opportunity to run after you, and this flatly refuses, and even put out an ultimatum on his first date.

Natasha is a lonely woman raising one child. But with all this, too, is provided: an apartment, a car, a decent salary, and beauty is not deprived. But tired of living alone, pulling the strap, being both dad and mom.

She clung to this Valery, as if this was the last train.

I had no choice but to convince her of the worthiness of this man. I baptized this man (God forgive me), as I could, having said at the end that he was mentally ill, that normal men do not behave like that on a first date. Having added that this is only the first date and so many demands and complaints against you, a practically unfamiliar woman, what will happen next? In general, she criticized the man in the tail and mane. She asked some leading questions, Natalya thought about it and finally let go of this situation. After 2 days, the call is grateful. He speaks: "Eve, do not believe me, as soon as I decided for myself that Valery is not the hero of my novel, as soon as Itold myself - "I will not go on this train, there is the next one", so immediately the man changed his tactics of behavior. Valery began to call, remind of himself and suddenly gave a bouquet of roses. And earlier he said: "Flowers are not a gift, this is money down the drain."

And relations began to develop in a completely different scenario. This is one particular example, but there are a lot of such examples in my practice.

Make a conclusion yourself.

A few words about emotions

This is one of the manifestations of a person’s relationship to himself and to surrounding reality. Today, scientists know a lot about the formation of emotions and the mechanisms of their occurrence, which made it possible to control them. So, a competent psychologist can do a good job with a person’s emotions, giving him the opportunity to cope with their negative manifestations, in particular, to overcome fear, anger and other conditions that prevent a person from enjoying life.

Feeling of guilt and shame - temporal lobes

It is easy enough for us to understand how the brain operates and the thought process. But what about feelings? We are so used to phrases like “breaking a heart” when it comes to sadness, or “bursting with paint” when we describe shame. In this sense, it is quite difficult for us to accept the fact that emotions and feelings, as well as the thought process and memory, are formed in the brain. And yet, this is so. Emotions are a neurophysiological process that occurs in the tissues of the brain. Today, thanks to neuroimaging technologies, scientists can evaluate this process.

When comparing the brains of people of different sexes, scientists discovered a curious fact. So, for women, for example, wine affected only the temporal lobes, and for men, the frontal lobes, occipital lobes and tonsils also began to work. These are some of the most ancient brain elements that are responsible for the feeling of fear, panic, anger and pleasure.

Feeling of anger and fear - tonsils

As for anger, it turned out that it also arises due to the activity of the amygdala. At the same time, scientists were able to find out that in physiological parameters it is very different from fear, sadness and other adverse emotions. It is not paradoxical, but in this sense, human anger is surprisingly similar to happiness. Thus, anger pushes us to move forward, as joy and pleasure, while fear and grief force a person to step back. In a state of anger, rage and anger in the brain, various areas are activated, because for the realization of this emotion the brain needs to evaluate the situation, as well as turn to memory, experience, normalize the production of necessary hormones and do a lot of other work in order to fully prepare the body for this feeling .

Feeling of joy and laughter - prefrontal cortex and hippocampus

In the moments when we experience happiness, laugh and smile, then at this time a large number of different areas are activated in the brain. This also involves the familiar amygdala, as well as the prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus and the cortex of the anterior islet lobe of the cerebrum. Thus, joy, as well as anger and fear, cover almost the entire brain.

Feeling of tenderness and comfort - somatosensory cortex

Instead of a conclusion

Despite the active study of the brain, so far, scientists have not been able to accurately determine what constitutes emotion. Today it is known that many senses are born in the limbic system, which is an ancient brain structure. However, scientists are aware that not everything that we traditionally recognize as emotions is actually them. For example, if we consider such a state as lust, then from a physiological point of view it does not at all look like joy. It was found that during lust, impulses are formed not in the tonsils, but in the ventral striatum - the so-called “center of reward”. For example, this area is also activated when we eat delicious food and during orgasm.

Any event or phenomenon on the path of life causes one or another feeling in a person. A person is inclined to experience certain feelings not only to specific objects, things or other individuals and animals, but also to certain qualities of all objects that surround him. Man, unlike animals, can also experience an emotional response to abstract concepts. The scope of human feelings is huge. This is joy and sorrow, favor and disgust, hostility and sympathy, fear and surprise, rage and calm.

Human life is very difficult to imagine without feelings and public manifestations of feelings. Many science fiction writers and science fiction film directors tried to imagine the structure of human society, completely devoid of any feelings. And these dystopias scare even more than war or violence. In fact, the only justification for all doubtful negative feelings experienced by a person every day is a feeling of love and kindness to his neighbor.

When feelings are born and why

In fact, scientists cannot fully answer the question of when the feelings of a person are born. Many tend to believe that the fetus already has emotional sensitivity in the second trimester of pregnancy. It is not for nothing that the child in the mother’s womb reacts to all the mother’s experiences, worries about loud music, calms down from the timbre of the voices of the parents. Thus, we can assume that it is the feeling of affection and love between children and parents that is the first thing that a person experiences in life.

The most developed and complex form should be considered feelings, which are abstractly conceptual reflection. For example, patriotism, love of the motherland, humanity, respect, tolerance, religious feelings. Such feelings, first of all, are characterized by an extremely complex structure and are called higher.

They, as a rule, do not change for a long time and do not directly depend on changes in social status, the state of the organism, and various life situations. The complexity of higher feelings arises because of their complex structure. The highest feeling consists of many small submissions, including emotions that are opposite to each other.

Interestingly, even the illusion of lack of feelings is so terrible, it is so difficult to imagine that certain curses, such as “insensitive person” in a negative sense, were even fixed in the speech. A person needs to experience emotions constantly.