In modern neurobiological terms, emotions are complex programs of actions triggered by the presence of certain stimuli, external to the body or from within the body, when such stimuli activate certain neural systems.

Feelings of emotion, on the other hand, are perceptions of the emotional action programs.

The (1) triggering systems, the (2) neural systems which execute the action program, and (3) the actions whose ensemble constitutes each emotion, were selected over evolutionary time and become available to each organism of a given species early in development thanks to that organism’s genome.

http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Neural_basis_of_emotions


"..emotions are complex programs of actions.."

"Feelings of emotion...are perceptions of the emotional action programs."

Example, we would not perceive feelings of fear, if the genetic primary FEAR action programs originating between the PAG and the amygdala did not exist.

Thoughts?


G

The emotions are as ubiquitous in daily life as vision, or hearing, or touch, but only recently have they received due consideration from the brain sciences. Perhaps for that reason they have been the object of many misconceptions. For example, the word emotion is usually taken to mean both a specific pattern of behavior (the emotion, in the proper sense) and a mental state related to it (known as feeling)...

http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Neural_basis_of_emotions

Each of the 7 unconditioned primary emotional response systems all have a programmed primary "specific pattern of behavior"

Example

The programmed primary FEAR system generates secondary anxious (flight) feelings.



M

"..emotions are complex programs of actions.."

"Feelings of emotion...are perceptions of the emotional action programs."

Example, we would not perceive feelings of fear, if the genetic primary FEAR action programs originating between the PAG and the amygdala did not exist.

Thoughts?


G
If the genetic primary FEAR action programs originating between the PAG and the amygdala did not exist, then neither would we, as our ancestors would have become somebody's dinner.

The whole point of the fear response is to beat a hasty retreat from danger.

However, sometimes things happen and we develop an overgeneralised fear response which fires off inappropriately.

If the genetic primary FEAR action programs originating between the PAG and the amygdala did not exist, then neither would we, as our ancestors would have become somebody's dinner.

The whole point of the fear response is to beat a hasty retreat from danger.

However, sometimes things happen and we develop an overgeneralised fear response which fires off inappropriately.

Seeking retreat.

"Retreat" is an excellent word to express movement associated with the evolutionary FEAR response system.

I think the concept of a spiritual retreat partly evolved with the FEAR/freeze-flight response systems.






M

I associate SEEKING with advancing movement, but maybe "searching" movement would be even better?

Seeking retreat must be hard on the seeking system?

Seeking searching movement

Rage advancing movement

Fear retreating movement

Searching, fight or flight (advance or retreat)




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