These psychologists believed that external events lead to both a physical, and mental reaction, and so they started to explore the idea that emotions are regulated by a specific area of the brain. And what’s more, sometimes we tremble because we are cold! But to others, this seemed a little counterintuitive: we don’t feel fear because we are trembling, we tremble because we are afraid. For example, you see a mouse, you tremble, and therefore you feel afraid. In the early days of psychology, it was popular to think that emotions are completely dependent on how the body responds to an event. (Spoiler alert: they still don’t fully agree!) Throughout history, psychologists, neuroscientists, and philosophers have put forward many different explanations for how emotions are created. (If you’d like a complete guide to emotions, check out this article.) What causes emotions?

In this article, we take a closer look at how the brain processes emotions. In fact, the quick flash of thoughts and feelings masks just how much work the brain is doing when you experience an emotion, interpreting circumstances, and bodily signals, and influencing how you feel, and respond. But equally, we know they’re not all in the mind. Even though we might feel shivers down our spine, or butterflies in our stomach, we can’t pinpoint emotions within the body.

We all know what it means to feel emotion - we know there are both physical, and mental components, whether that’s jumping when we see a mouse, or feeling content when we’re with people we love. Your body relaxes into your chair, and you fail to notice the passing time. Or maybe you’re having coffee with a close friend. You might instinctively leap back to safety, perceiving the unexpected furry creature as a threat. doi:10.1371/ opening the kitchen cupboard, and a mouse jumps out. Layous K, Sweeny K, Armenta C, Na S, Choi I, Lyubomirsky S. Effects of the best possible self intervention: A systematic review and meta-analysis. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0132438Ĭarrillo A, Rubio-Aparicio M, Molinari G, Enrique Á, Sánchez-Meca J, Baños RM. Comparing happiness and hypomania risk: A study of extraversion and neuroticism aspects. Optimism and well-being: A prospective multi-method and multi-dimensional examination of optimism as a resilience factor following the occurrence of stressful life events. Kleiman EM, Chiara AM, Liu RT, Jager-Hyman SG, Choi JY, Alloy LB. Comment: The emotional basis of toxic affect.

Two sides of emotion: Exploring positivity and negativity in six basic emotions across cultures.

Experiential avoidance and bordering psychological constructs as predictors of the onset, relapse and maintenance of anxiety disorders: One or many?. Spinhoven P, van Hemert AM, Penninx BWJH.

How emotions are created