IN explanatory dictionary Russian language meaning of the word “abuse” according to S.I. Ozhegov - judgmental and hurtful words, swearing, , that is, an insult. And with every insult, the same chemicals are released into a person’s blood as during a beating. A stress reaction occurs. And if we talk medical language, stress is a group chemicals- catecholamines and steroids. The most famous of them are adrenaline and norepinephrine. In response to a stressful situation associated with common name-calling, our body produces excess quantity steroids that affect everything functional systems. Accordingly, stress echoes in every organ and system.
When insulting and physically punishing children, you can really, in the full sense of the word, “drive” into the child’s head what they are saying. However, this also applies to adults, although children's memory is more durable. This practice of communication works as a stigma; a person begins to correspond to the chosen image. Particularly dangerous are insults received from the closest and dearest people, significant adults - parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters, teachers. The so-called programming of fate occurs, of course, most often this is the parental program. And the harm that abuse and physical punishment causes to human health is evidenced by the numerous works of scientists studying the nature of psychosomatic diseases - I.G. Malkina-Pykh, Louise Hay, Yu.Yu. Eliseev and others.
In response to such rude interference, certain negative emotions arise - resentment, anger, anger, hatred, guilt. Criticism of oneself and others arises. Negative emotions experienced by a person begin to have a detrimental effect on all areas of life. If it seems that no matter how much you criticize and swear, everything is like water off a duck’s back, even in this case a negative impact occurs with all the ensuing consequences. Here is a vivid schematic example of the influence of experienced emotions on health, violations of which can arise due to reasons for resentment, inferiority, fears, decreased self-esteem, and humiliation. All this can be avoided by adequately forming relationships, especially in the family, between children and parents, husbands and wives, elderly relatives and grandchildren.
Life stories of my clients who have developed a lot of psychosomatic diseases, ranging from a banal acute respiratory infection to bronchial asthma(holding back sobs) confirm these data. Alas, we very often hear such malicious expressions: “Idiot, mediocrity, lazy, nothing will come of you, loser.” What a misconception people fall into when they utter such words that not only painfully wound the soul, but also play the most important role in a person’s life, determining his entire future fate and health in general!
And some women tend to “hurt” their beloved men with such selective abuse and criticism that it hurts the ears. It is strictly not recommended to talk badly about your husband, especially behind his back. People unconsciously feel how they are treated, so is it any wonder if, after talking with friends about their husband, a scandal occurs at home, and the husband leaves in an unknown direction? The man didn’t hear anything, but he felt it. It is enough to analyze your behavior and you can see clear signs of the correspondence of events.
Many women are in the habit of calling their spouse by his last name. It sounds somehow strange, dismissive, without a note of love in the voice. In my opinion, there is no need to call your husband that way, it is not only ugly, but also deprives a person of the opportunity to hear his own native name, because it is what is so pleasant for everyone. Since ancient times, the husband’s name was not used at all in front of strangers; it was a strict prohibition, a taboo. If they even talked about the spouse, they called him by his first name and patronymic, and did not discuss his affairs.
Calling names, criticizing and scolding
no one at all, even mentally,
including those who are unpleasant.
Known "parable of the nails" , it is very instructive.
The father had a son who constantly cursed and called him names. Then, however, he repented, apologized, and everything was repeated all over again. The father listened and listened, and suggested that his son hammer a nail into the board every time he scolds someone. The son, of course, hammered a lot of nails. Then my father ordered all the nails to be pulled out. The son did this too. And his father said to him: “Do you see how many ugly marks there are on the board? Also, in the souls of those whom you offended, these scars and potholes remain forever; nothing can fix them.”
I would like to give an example of a family I know where complete harmony reigns. The recipe for their happiness is quite simple: children are never criticized or scolded, parents spend a lot of free time with each other and with their children. Everyone constantly expresses pleasure, thanks and praises family members, showing every possible attention. Mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, everyone is always looking for a reason to express their admiration for an action, an outfit, a cooked dinner, appearance, any small or big achievement.
We probably need to be more tolerant of each other, communicate with love and respect, try to see, notice and cultivate only positive traits. And if you clearly don’t see them and are sure that they don’t exist, then try to look with your soul. The fruits will not take long to arrive! Many will be satisfied and happy, especially you!
Your psychologist
Tatiana Zaitseva
Emotions are an integral part of the reaction of humans and other higher animals to environmental factors. They appear constantly and influence the behavior and actions of any thinking being all his life, so it is obvious that not only the spiritual state of a person, but also his physical health.
The word “emotion” itself comes from the Latin “emoveo”, which means excitement, shock, experience. That is, it is logical to perceive the emotions that arise in us as vibrations passing throughout the body, affecting all organs and systems that connect them together.
Since ancient times, scientists interested in medicine have observed a correlation between the prevailing emotional state and human health. This is written about in treatises oriental medicine, works of Hippocrates and other ancient Greek scientists. We can also trace the understanding of the connection between emotional and physical health among the people thanks to the well-known sayings: “joy makes you young, but grief makes you old”, “like rust eats iron, sadness eats away the heart”, “you can’t buy health - it’s given by the mind”, “all diseases come from nerves." These statements call for attention to the destructive influence of heavy emotional stress on nervous system, which negatively affect the health of other organs and systems.
IN modern science The connection between physical health and emotions was confirmed by neurophysiologist Charles Sherington, laureate Nobel Prize. He deduced a pattern: the emotional experiences that arise flow into somatic and vegetative changes.
- Physiology of the influence of emotions on the body.
The reaction to the world around us, first of all, occurs in the central nervous system. Receptors from the senses send signals to the brain, and it responds to emerging stimuli, forming a set of commands to help overcome an obstacle or reinforce the correct action.
- Scheme of the impact of negative emotions.
With negative emotions, for example, in response to insult, aggression occurs, supported by the adrenal hormone norepinephrine; when there is a feeling of danger, fear arises, supported by adrenaline; the appearance of a rival or competitor for resources becomes a cause of jealousy and envy. Regular irritation accordingly transforms ordinary, controlled emotions into something more: in the first case, aggression develops into hatred, in the second - fear into anxiety (the state of the victim), in the third - into irritability and dissatisfaction.
- Action diagram positive emotions.
Positive emotions are accompanied by the release of happiness hormones (endorphin, dopamine), they give a euphoric effect that makes a person try harder to get joy and calm again. Serotonin works in a similar way, the level of which in the blood determines sensitivity to pain and physical factors(it is thanks to him that children so easily forget about injuries and are able to for a long time do not notice obvious damage such as cuts, tears, etc.).
- Physiological manifestations of emotions.
Hormones prepare the body to respond to irritation: the heart rate accelerates, blood vessels dilate, characteristic facial expressions appear, abdominal muscles contract, breathing quickens, the evacuation function of the gastrointestinal tract is stimulated, “goose bumps” appear (adaptation to air temperature), fever, and nervous excitement.
When the border of regular influence is overcome, this means that the person has not independently coped with the problem that constantly caused corresponding emotions. When a certain limit, individual for each person, is reached, the body itself takes control of the body. Thus, when a stimulus reappears, the conscious part of the personality loses control. In this case, a person begins to behave like an animal and is capable of harming himself or others, that is, emotions can not only harm the physical body, but also seriously undermine spiritual health.
In case of permanent emotional influence, be it positive or negative, the body self-destructs, as a person stops paying attention to its primary needs. A constant strong reaction (excitement, concern, fear, euphoria) exhausts the body, which becomes the cause of the disease.
Each of us knows that the emotions that arise as a result of certain events help to form a mood. And the ability to cope with certain problems, in turn, depends on mood. Cheerfulness of spirit is always accompanied by success and joy, and depression and fatigue are always accompanied by illness and misfortune.
Eastern medicine has an extensive knowledge base on finding the relationship between individual internal organs And external manifestations their condition. For example, it was Eastern doctors who created maps of bioactive points, a urine analysis system, diagrams of the type and color of plaque on the tongue, and determined by what changes in facial features a particular disease can be detected.
How negative emotions affect health:
Worry, anxiety, depression - these emotions extinguish the manifestations of energy in a person and make them fear the world around them. The consequence of constant restraint is problems with the tonsils (tonsillitis) and throat (bronchitis, laryngitis) up to loss of voice;
Jealousy - unrest caused by the desire to limit the freedom of a person nearby and greed, provoke insomnia and frequent migraines;
Hatred - sudden surges of energy that overwhelm the body, splash out to no avail, shaking the human psyche. He often suffers greatly from the slightest setbacks, and improper impulsive behavior leads to problems with the gall bladder, stomach and liver.
Irritation - when a person is irritated by every little thing, we can talk about sensitization of the body caused by weakening protective functions. It is not surprising that such people suffer from frequent attacks of nausea (a physiological reaction to poisoning), which no medications can cope with;
Arrogance and snobbery - arrogance provokes constant dissatisfaction with the things and people around a person, which causes problems with the joints, intestines and pancreas;
Fear appears in people for whom the main goal is survival. Fear absorbs energy, makes a person cynical, withdrawn, dry and cold. Suspicion and confidence in the hostility of the world provoke arthritis, deafness and senile dementia in such a person;
Lack of self-confidence - the feeling of guilt for every misstep and mistake overloads thoughts and causes chronic headaches;
Dejection, boredom, sadness - such emotions stop the flow of energy in the body, provoke stagnation, loss of motivation. In an effort to protect himself from risks and new attachments, a person withdraws into his own sadness and loses the opportunity to receive bright positive emotions. As a result, he suffers from constipation, asthma, immunodeficiency, impotence, and frigidity.
TO negative manifestations emotions also include excessive joy, since because of it, a person’s energy dissipates without a trace, getting lost and wasted in vain. Due to constant losses, a person is forced to look for new pleasures, which he is again unable to retain. The cycle closes and life turns into a constant search for entertainment, which leads to anxiety states(fear of losing access to what you want), despair and insomnia.
Of course, it should be taken into account that one-time, rare manifestations of negative emotions are a completely normal reaction to the problems that every person has. To a certain extent, they even turn out to be useful, since, firstly, they are able to push a person to an important decision and stimulate the desire to correct a problematic situation in the right direction, and secondly, they are a contrast against which positive emotions become more desirable and better felt .
Problems bring long-term emotional impacts that become pathological over time. They are the ones who undermine the body from the inside and can make a person defenseless against harmful environmental factors, creating the ground for the development of all kinds of diseases.
Emotions and spiritual interaction between people
Have you noticed that we feel and behave differently around other people? “The mood has changed,” we say. In fact, not only the mental mood changes, but also the physiology of our body, which instantly reacts to what is happening around us. People unconsciously perceive the “language” of each other’s body and facial expressions with all their senses. Empathy, imitation, copying are inherent in us at the genetic level. It is not in our power to control these abilities at will: to empathize or imitate only when we want it and as much as we need it. We, like communicating and overflowing vessels, transmit their moods, experiences, nervous relationships - to each other, “infecting and becoming infected.” Agree that feelings such as anger, fear, indignation are very contagious? Just like laughing and smiling.
The influence of emotions on health
Emotions (from lat. emoveo- shock, excite) are the subjective reactions of humans and higher animals to any external and internal stimuli. Emotions accompany all human life processes and can be caused by situations or events that exist only in our imagination.
In other words, this is a personal attitude, a person’s reaction to the events that happen to him. Today, scientists argue a lot about how harmful negative emotional manifestations are to people's health. And there is an opinion that in reasonable quantities, stress is even beneficial, as it helps the body stay in good shape, not become limp, and pushes us to action. However, prolonged exposure to strong emotions, both positive and negative, on the body causes stress and is fraught with health problems.
Humanity has long known that emotions have a direct impact on health. This is evidenced by popular sayings: “All diseases come from nerves”, “You can’t buy health - the mind gives it”, “Joy makes you young, grief makes you old”, “Rust eats iron, and sadness eats the heart.” Even in ancient times, doctors determined the connection between the soul (the emotional component) and the physical component - the human body. The ancients knew that everything that affects the brain equally affects the body.
However, already in the 17th century, during the time of Descartes, this was forgotten. And man was successfully “divided” into two components: mind and body. And diseases were defined as either purely physical or mental, which were treated in completely different ways.
Only now have we begun to look at human nature, as Hippocrates once did - in its integrity, that is, realizing that it is impossible to separate soul and body. Modern medicine has accumulated enough data that confirms that the nature of most diseases is psychosomatic, that the health of the body and spirit are interconnected and interdependent. Scientists from various countries studying the influence of emotions on human health have come to very interesting conclusions. Thus, the famous English neurophysiologist Charles Sherrington, Nobel Prize laureate, established the following pattern: emotional experience occurs first, followed by vegetative and somatic changes in the body.
German scientists have established a connection between each individual human organ and a certain part of the brain through nerve pathways. American scientists are developing a theory for diagnosing diseases based on a person’s mood and express the possibility of preventing a disease before its development begins. This is facilitated by preventive therapy to improve mood and accumulate positive emotions.
It is important to understand here that it is not one-time grief that provokes somatic disease, but long-term negative experiences caused by stress. It is these experiences that weaken the immune system and make us defenseless. A chronic feeling of causeless anxiety, depressive states and depressed mood are good soil for the development of many diseases. Such negative mental manifestations include anger, envy, fear, despondency, panic, anger, irritability, that is, emotions that you should try to avoid. Even Orthodoxy classifies emotions such as anger, envy and despondency as mortal sins, and not by chance. After all, every such mood can lead to serious illnesses organism with a very sad outcome.
The meaning of emotions in Eastern medicine
Eastern medicine also claims that mood and certain emotions can cause diseases of certain organs. According to representatives of Eastern medicine, physical health and emotions are quite closely related. Our feelings, both good and bad, significantly affect our body.
Moreover, representatives of Eastern medicine find a connection between emotions and various organs.
For example, kidney problems can be caused by feelings of fear, weak will and lack of self-confidence. Since the kidneys are responsible for growth and development, they correct work especially important in childhood. Chinese medicine calls for instilling courage and self-confidence in children. Such a child will always correspond to his age.
The main respiratory organ is the lungs. Abnormalities in lung function can be caused by sadness and sadness. Respiratory dysfunction, in turn, can cause many concomitant diseases. Treatment atopic dermatitis in adults, from the point of view of oriental medicine, it should begin with an examination of all organs, including the lungs.
Lack of vitality and enthusiasm can negatively affect the functioning of the heart. Also for good operation of the main organ, following Chinese medicine, contraindicated bad dream, depression and despair. The heart regulates the function of blood vessels. His work can be easily determined by the color of his face and tongue. Arrhythmia and rapid heartbeat are the main symptoms of cardiac dysfunction. This, in turn, can lead to mental disorders and long-term memory disorders.
Irritation, anger and resentment affect the functioning of the liver. The consequences of liver imbalance can be very severe. These are breast cancer in women, headaches and dizziness.
Chinese medicine encourages you to experience only positive emotions. This is the only way to save good health for many years. However, it is unlikely that a modern person will be able to get rid of negative emotions, as if by magic. magic wand. Do we have a way out of this situation?
First of all, we should remember that we need emotions, since the internal environment of the body must exchange energy with external environment. And so energy metabolism will not cause harm if natural emotional programs inherent in nature are involved in it: sadness or joy, surprise or disgust, a feeling of shame or anger, interest, laughter, crying, anger, etc. The main thing is that there are emotionsa reaction to what is happening, and not the result of “twisting” oneself, so that they manifest themselves naturally, without anyone’s coercion, and are not exaggerated.
Natural emotional reactions should not be restrained; it is only important to learn how to express them correctly. Moreover, you should learn to respect the expression of emotions by other people and perceive them adequately. And under no circumstances should you suppress emotions, no matter what color they may be.
Ayurveda on suppressing emotions
Suppressed emotions do not dissolve in the body without a trace, but form toxins in it, which accumulate in the tissues, poisoning the body. What are these emotions, and what is their effect on the human body? Let's take a closer look.
Suppressed anger - completely changes the flora in gallbladder, bile duct, small intestine, worsens pitta dosha, causes inflammation of the surface of the mucous membrane of the stomach and small intestine.
Fear and anxiety - change the flora in the colon. As a result, the stomach becomes distended with gas, which accumulates in the folds of the colon, causing pain. Often this pain is mistakenly attributed to heart or liver problems.
Suppressed emotions cause imbalancetridoshas , which in turn affects agni, which is responsible for immunityin the body. A reaction to such a violation may be the occurrence of an allergy to such completely harmless phenomena as pollen, dust and flower smell.
Suppressed fear will cause violationsassociated with products that increasevata dosha. Suppression of emotionspitta dosha(anger and hatred) may cause hypersensitivity to foods that aggravate pitta in people with a pitta constitution from birth. Such a person will be sensitive to hot and spicy foods.
People with a kapha constitution who are suppressive emotions kapha dosha(attachment, greed), will have allergic reaction for kapha food, i.e. will be sensitive to foods that aggravate kapha (dairy products). This may result in constipation and wheezing in the lungs.
Sometimes the imbalance that gives rise to a disease process may first arise in the body, and then manifest itself in the mind and consciousness - and, as a result, lead to a certain emotional background. Thus the circle is closed. The imbalance that appears first on the physical level later affects the mind through disturbances in the tridosha. As we showed above, Vata disorder provokes fear, depression and nervousness. Excess pitta in the body will cause anger, hatred and jealousy. Worsening kapha will create an exaggerated sense of possessiveness, pride and attachment. Thus, there is a direct relationship between diet, habits, environment and emotional disturbances. These disorders can also be judged by indirect signs that appear in the body in the form of muscle tension.
How to detect the problem
Physical expression emotional stress and emotional toxins accumulated in the body are muscle tension, the causes of which can be either strong feelings, excessive strictness of upbringing, ill-will of employees, lack of self-confidence, the presence of complexes, etc. If a person has not learned to get rid of negative emotions and is constantly tormented by some difficult experiences, then sooner or later they manifest themselves in muscle tension in the facial area (forehead, eyes, mouth, back of the head), neck, chest area (shoulders and arms), lumbar, as well as in the pelvis and lower extremities.
If such conditions are temporary and you manage to get rid of the negative emotions that provoke them, then there is no reason to worry. However, chronic muscle tightness, in turn, can lead to the development of various somatic diseases.
Let's look at some emotional states, which, being in chronic form, can cause certain diseases.
Depression - lethargic mood, independent of circumstances, for a long time. This emotion can cause quite serious problems throat, namely frequent sore throats and even loss of voice.
Self-criticism - feeling guilty about everything you do. The result can be chronic headaches.
Irritation - a feeling when literally everything irritates you. In this case, do not be surprised by frequent attacks of nausea, for which medications do not help.
Resentment - feeling humiliated and insulted. Be prepared for gastrointestinal distress chronic gastritis, ulcers, constipation and diarrhea.
Anger - causes a surge of energy that rapidly increases and suddenly splashes out. An angry person is easily upset by failures and is unable to control his feelings. His behavior is incorrect and impulsive. As a result, the liver suffers.
Excessive joy - dissipates energy, it is dispersed and lost. When the main thing in a person’s life is to receive pleasure, he is unable to retain energy and is always looking for satisfaction and increasingly stronger stimulation. As a result, such a person is prone to uncontrollable anxiety, insomnia and despair. In this case, the heart is often affected.
Sadness - stops the energy. A person who is lost in the experience of sadness is disconnected from the world, his feelings dry up, and his motivation fades. Protecting himself from the joys of attachment and the pain of loss, he arranges his life in such a way as to avoid risk and the vagaries of passion, becoming inaccessible to true intimacy. Such people have asthma, constipation and frigidity.
Fear
-
reveals itself when survival is in question. From fear, energy drops, a person turns to stone and loses control over himself. In the life of a person overwhelmed by fear, the expectation of danger prevails, he becomes suspicious, withdraws from the world and prefers loneliness. He is critical, cynical, confident in the hostility of the world.
Isolation can cut him off from life, making him cold, hard and unspiritual. In the body this manifests itself as arthritis, deafness and senile dementia.
Thus , along with dietary and lifestyle corrections selected by an Ayurvedic doctor in accordance with your constitutional type, It is very important to learn to manage your emotions and take control of them.
How to work with emotions?
To this question, Ayurveda advises that emotions should be observed with detachment, with full awareness watching them unfold, comprehending their nature, and then allowing them to dissipate. When emotions are suppressed, it can cause disturbances in the mind and ultimately , in body functions.
Here are some tips that, if followed consistently, will help you improve your emotional situation.
A proven method, but one that requires constant effort from you, is to be kind to others. Try to think positively and treat others kindly, so that a positive emotional attitude will help improve your health.
Practice so-called spiritual gymnastics. IN ordinary life we perform it every day, scrolling through the usual thoughts in our heads, empathizing with everything around us - the sounds from the TV,tape recorder, radio, beautiful views of nature, etc. However, you need to do this purposefully, understanding which experiences are harmful to your emotional health and which ones help maintain the desired emotional background.Correct spiritual gymnastics causes the corresponding physiological changes in the body. By remembering this or that event in our life, we evoke and consolidate in the body the physiology and neural connections corresponding to that event.If the recalled event was joyful and accompanied by pleasant sensations, this is beneficial. And if we turn to unpleasant memories and re-experience negative emotions, then the stress reaction is consolidated in the body on the physical and spiritual planes. Therefore, it is very important to learn to recognize and practice positive reactions.
An effective way to “remove” stress from the body is proper (not excessive) physical activity, which requires fairly high energy costs, for example, swimming, exercise gym, running, etc. Yoga, meditation and breathing exercises are very helpful in returning to normal.
A way to get rid of mental anxiety as a consequence of stress is a confidential conversation with a loved one ( good friend, relative).
Create the right thought forms. First of all, go to the mirror and look at yourself. Pay attention to the corners of your lips. Where are they directed: down or up? If the lip pattern has a downward slant, it means that something is constantly bothering you and making you sad. You have a very developed sense of escalating the situation. As soon as the unpleasant event happened, you already painted a terrible picture for yourself.This is wrong and even dangerous to health. You simply must pull yourself together right here and now, looking in the mirror. Tell yourself it's over! From now on - only positive emotions. Any situation is a test of Fate for endurance, health, and life extension. Hopeless situations does not happen - this must always be remembered. No wonder people say that time is our best healer, that the morning is wiser than the evening. Don’t make hasty decisions, let the situation go for a while, and the solution will come, and with it good mood, and positive emotions.
Wake up every day with a smile, listen to good pleasant music more often, communicate only with cheerful people who add a good mood and do not take away your energy.
Thus, each person himself is responsible for both the diseases from which he suffers and for recovery from them. Remember that our health, like emotions and thoughts, is in our hands.
Ragozin Boris Vladimirovich, inAyurveda doctor
Emotions accompany us from birth until death, but few people realize how important emotions are. What are emotions? Emotions are a person’s attitude to various events occurring in his life. It should be noted that emotions have been studied very poorly by scientists. Therefore, the opinions of the authors regarding such a concept as human emotions differ greatly.
In order to understand what emotions are, it is necessary to draw a general conclusion based on all opinions. Emotions are a person’s reaction to current events. They have a great influence on human activity, and in most cases are responsible for his actions.
This means that thanks to emotions, a person is able to experience feelings such as fear, joy, anger, pleasure, hatred and others.
Emotions are not the cause of experiences. They only regulate human activity.
Emotions have accompanied humanity since ancient times. They have gone through a long period of evolution, and have changed greatly since the origin of life. At first, emotions could be called the primitive instincts of man, for example, movement and other actions inherent in man by nature. In the process of evolution, they developed, acquiring an emotional character and lost their instinctive character. Thus, instincts acquired individuality and allowed a person to evaluate the current situation, as well as take part in it at his own discretion.
The role of emotions is very great. They are the basis of human existence. For example, thanks to various emotions, such as joy, hatred or fear, people are able to convey their feelings and experiences to each other. Emotional outbursts are usually accompanied by active gestures, changes in intonation or even skin color, for example, redness.
It is difficult to imagine a person without emotion. In some situations, people are able to restrain their impulses, but in most cases it is very difficult for them. A person who looks at life with an empty gaze ceases to see any interest in it and completely loses his further goal. Any actions do not bring him the desired satisfaction. An apathetic state can cause deep depression. However, often a person finds a way to return to his old life.
Emotions can be perceived as signals sent to a person by the body. For example, if a person’s emotions are positive, this means that he is happy with everything and is in harmony with the world around him. If a person shows negative emotions, then something is seriously bothering him.
Emotions have a significant impact on a person's life. A person’s perception of the world around them directly depends on them. A person who experiences positive emotions, such as joy and happiness, views the world and people around him in a positive way. And those suffering from difficult experiences and negative emotions evaluate the environment only in dark colors.
It is also worth noting that emotions have a strong influence on mental processes and human performance. Being in a negative state, a person can almost never do hard work. His brain cannot concentrate on a specific task.
In some cases, the reasons for poor performance may depend on personal perception, for which emotions are responsible. If a person absolutely does not like the work he is forced to do, then in most cases he will not be able to complete the work quickly and efficiently.
Strong emotional impulses can lead to unexpected consequences. For example, being a person is capable of a terrible act, for which he will later not be able to answer if he is in a state of severe emotional shock. When in a state of passion, people often commit monstrous acts.
People can be very different from each other. They may live in different countries, be brought up according to different customs, but in most cases their emotions are similar. Animals have a unique ability to understand human emotions. For example, a cat or dog perfectly senses the owner’s mood. If a person is in a good mood, the animal will definitely approach him. Feeling the slightest sign of anger and aggression, the pet will try to stay away from the person.
Scientists cannot yet fully formulate a definition of this phenomenon. It is not clear exactly how animals feel hatred or joy coming from a person. However, almost every person can confirm this phenomenon.
Emotions are different and are divided into several types. They have the ability to quickly replace each other. A person can be depressed and suddenly regain vitality. An unusual surge of strength can also be replaced by apathy and a desire to hide from the world. Being sad and sorrowful, a person can suddenly become cheerful and joyful.
People have a hard time hiding their emotions. Often they are immediately reflected on a person’s face, and in order to avoid this, you need to have incredible control over yourself.
Trying to hide their true feelings, they can give themselves away through gestures, facial expressions, or even their voice.
In general, emotions can be divided into three main groups.
Positive emotions include joy, laughter, happiness, pleasure, love, sympathy, admiration, bliss and others. They bring only positive feelings to a person and make his life much better.
Negative emotions usually include envy, anger, hatred, resentment, fear, disgust, regret and others. Such emotions drive a person into depressive state and significantly worsen his life.
Neutral emotions include surprise, curiosity and indifference. Often such emotions do not carry any special subtext and are not of significant interest to a person.
As mentioned above, emotions have a great influence on a person's life. Some people don't tend to give in to emotions. They experience them, but cannot fully feel them. Such people can be called dispassionate and cold. They are unable to correctly assess their own feelings.
A person’s emotions really have not only a moral impact, but also physical impact per person. For example, if a person experiences severe fear, he is unable to think or make sudden movements. The body of a person experiencing fear may become numb, and in some cases he wants to run away without looking back.
Being sad, a person is unable to take an active part in the life of society. He wants to quickly hide from the world around him, does not want to carry on a conversation and prefers loneliness.
Joy also changes a person's life. Positive emotions contribute to the production of the happiness hormone. A person feels an unexpected surge of strength, and readily begins new achievements.
Long-term stress can have a serious impact on human health. Negative emotions contribute to the deterioration of the cardiovascular system. Impaired heart function can lead to serious consequences. Persistent negative emotions have an impact harmful influence on the human body.
It is also worth noting a separate group of human emotions. Affects are very strong human emotions. In such a state, a person can commit an unexpected, unusual act. In some cases it is hatred, fear or a desire to protect oneself.
A person's emotions and feelings are closely related to his personality. They indicate a person’s inner experiences, his desires and secret fears. Most people cannot fully express their emotions, they are afraid of it and try to hide their true feelings. In this case, you should seriously think about the reason for this behavior. People who are unable to express their feelings can face serious problems. In the future, they will not be able to correctly assess the life situation and cope with difficulties. Many people never find the strength to admit their true feelings and experiences.
If a person is absolutely healthy, he definitely experiences feelings and emotions. The world around us has a constant impact on him. Emotions and feelings are a direct response to such influences. Alexithymia is a disease in which a person is unable to experience feelings.
Such people really do not know what feelings and emotions are. Often their problems stem from early childhood. This behavior is to blame for adults who failed to give children the attention they deserve. Alexithymics prefer to seek the meaning of life, develop as a person, and consider emotions a waste of time. They claim they don't feel anything. In reality, such people are simply unable to cope with their feelings. It is easier for them not to pay attention to them than to acknowledge their presence.
There is a type of people who are capable of consciously erasing emotions from life. They prefer not to feel anything and not burden themselves with unnecessary worries. Having experienced many life shocks, they come to the conclusion that feelings and emotions do not lead to good things. However, it should be remembered that living without emotions is very difficult. Such an existence will not bring joy to a person. It is important to understand that even negative emotions can teach a person a certain lesson in life. You shouldn’t turn off your emotions and become bitter against the whole world.
The impact of emotions on humans K. Izard
Emotions affect a person's body and mind, they influence almost every aspect of his existence. In subsequent chapters, we will look in detail at how specific emotions affect various aspects of human biological, physiological, and social functioning. Here we will only outline in very general terms the enormous influence that emotions have on our lives.
A change can be detected in a person experiencing an emotion electrical activity facial muscles (Rusalova, Izard, Simonov, 1975; Schwartz, Fair, Greenberg, Freedman, Klerman, 1974). Some changes are also observed in the electrical activity of the brain, in the functioning of the circulatory and respiratory systems(Simonov, 1975). The pulse of an angry or frightened person can be 40-60 beats per minute higher than normal (Rusalova et al., 1975). Such sharp changes in somatic indicators when a person experiences a strong emotion indicate that almost all neuro-physiological and somatic systems of the body are involved in this process. These changes inevitably affect the perception, thinking and behavior of the individual, and extreme cases can lead to somatic and mental disorders. Emotion activates the autonomic nervous system, which in turn affects the endocrine and neurohumoral systems. The mind and body require action. If, for one reason or another, behavior that is adequate to emotions is impossible for an individual, he or she faces psychosomatic disorders (Dunbar, 1954). But it is not at all necessary to experience a psychosomatic crisis in order to feel how powerfully emotions have an impact on almost all somatic and physiological functions of the body. The influence of emotions on human physiology is discussed in detail in the recent work of Thompson (1988).
If you delve into your memory, you will probably remember moments when you had to experience fear - and your heart was pounding, your breathing was interrupted, your hands were trembling, and your legs became weak. You may be able to remember when you were overcome with anger. At such moments, you felt every beat of your loudly beating heart, the blood rushed to your face, and all your muscles were tense and ready for action. You wanted to rush at the offender with your fists to give vent to this tension. Remember moments of grief or sadness - probably then you felt an incomprehensible, inexplicable heaviness in all your limbs, and your muscles were sluggish and lifeless. You felt a dull, aching pain in your chest, tears streaming down your face, or you, trying to hold them back, winced from silent sobs.
Or imagine that you seem to be charged with electricity, that your whole body is vibrating with energy rushing out and that the blood is pulsating in your temples, in your fingertips, in every cell of your body. You want to dance, jump, scream - to throw out the joy that overwhelms you. Or remember how something shocked you or someone delighted you so much that you forgot about yourself and, spellbound, with all your thoughts and body, rushed to the object of lust and curiosity. An outside observer, if he is attentive, can determine from one posture and several characteristic movements of a person what emotion he is experiencing at the moment (Sogon, Matsutani, 1989).
Whatever the emotion experienced by a person - powerful or barely expressed - it always causes physiological changes in his body, and these changes are sometimes so serious that they cannot be ignored. Of course, with smoothed, indistinct emotions, somatic changes are not so clearly expressed - without reaching the threshold of awareness, they often go unnoticed. But we should not underestimate the importance of such unconscious, subliminal processes for the body. Somatic reactions to a mild emotion are not as intense as a violent reaction to a strong emotional experience, but the duration of exposure to a subthreshold emotion can be very long. What we call “mood” is usually formed under the influence of just such emotions. Prolonged negative emotion, even of moderate intensity, can be extremely dangerous and ultimately even lead to physical or mental disorders. The results of recent research in the field of neurophysiology suggest that emotions and mood even influence the immune system, reducing resistance to disease (Marx, 1985). If you experience anger, anxiety or depression for a long time - even if these emotions are mild - then you are more likely to get an acute respiratory infection, flu or catch intestinal infection. Everyone knows what it is viral diseases, but the causative agents of these diseases are always present in one quantity or another in the body. And if chronic stress and prolonged experience of negative emotions weaken the immune system, the body provides them with favorable soil for reproduction and pathogenic influence.
The emotions experienced by a person have a direct impact on the quality of the activity he performs - his work, study, play. For example, one student is passionate about a subject and is full of a passionate desire to study it thoroughly, to comprehend it to its subtleties. Another person is disgusted by the subject being studied and, naturally, looks for a reason not to study it. It is easy to imagine what emotions the educational process will evoke in each of these two students: for the first it will bring joy and happiness of learning, for the second - the eternal fear of failure in the exam.
Emotions and Personality Development. When considering the interaction between emotions and personality development, two factors need to be taken into account. The first of them is the influence of heredity on the emotional makeup of the individual. It seems that genetic preconditions play an important role in the formation of emotionality or, more precisely, in establishing the thresholds for experiencing a particular emotion. The second factor of interaction is individual experience and training in the part that relates to emotional sphere. This refers to skills in expressing emotions and behavior patterns associated with emotions. Observations of Russian children aged 6 months to 2 years, who were in the same social conditions (children were raised in a preschool institution, where they were surrounded by an atmosphere of love, attention and care and basic life skills were instilled), revealed significant individual differences in emotional expressions and in the level of emotional thresholds (Izard, 1977). For those who doubt the significance of the genetic prerequisites for emotionality, who are ready to challenge the role of the heredity factor in the formation of individual characteristics of emotional experiences, emotional expression and emotional behavior, I advise you to observe such seemingly identical children for several hours.
If a child has a low threshold for experiencing some emotion, if he often experiences and often shows it, this inevitably causes a special kind of reaction and a special kind of attitude towards him on the part of other children and adults. This kind of interaction between genetic and external factors inevitably leads to the formation of distinct personal characteristics.
It can be said that the emotional traits of an individual are largely determined by the characteristics of his social experience, especially the experience acquired in infancy and in childhood. early childhood. A child who is prone to a temper, a child who is fearful, or a child who smiles naturally receives different receptions in the world of peers and adults. The success of his interaction with the people around him, and therefore the success of his social development and socialization, depends on the emotions that a child most often experiences and displays. Emotionality affects not only the formation of personality traits and social development of a child, it even affects his intellectual development. If a child has become accustomed to a state of despondency, if he is constantly upset or depressed, he will not be as inclined as his cheerful peer to active curiosity and exploration of the environment. Tomkins (1962) considers curiosity to be an emotion that plays the same role in a person's intellectual development as exercise plays in his physical development.
Emotions and sex. As early as 1935, Beach (1935) stated that fear and copulation are incompatible. He came to this conclusion after conducting experiments on rats, but the pattern he discovered can be applied to relationships between people, which is supported not only by common sense, but also by data clinical observations. Sexual attraction is almost always accompanied by one emotion or another. When combined with anger and contempt, it degenerates into sadism or sexual violence. The combination of sexual desire and guilt can lead to masochism or impotence. In love and in marriage, sexual attraction causes joyful excitement in partners, an acute experience of sensual pleasure and leaves behind the most vivid impressions.
Emotions, marriage and parenthood. The characteristics of a person’s emotional makeup and his emotional responsiveness largely determine both the method of courtship and the choice of a partner for life together. Unfortunately, psychologists have not paid much attention to the role that emotions play in courtship and marital life, but research in related fields suggests two trends. On the one hand, when choosing a partner, a person strives to ensure that the emotional experiences and expression of a potential life partner do not contradict his experiences and ways of expressing emotions. On the other hand, preference is often given to a person with a similar emotional profile - with the same thresholds of experience and with the same methods of emotional expression.
Emotions influence not only sexual attraction and the relationship between spouses, they largely determine parental feelings and attitudes. A child's curiosity, joy, disgust or fear evokes an emotional response in parents in accordance with their individual thresholds for these emotions.
The most general and fundamental principle of human behavior is that emotions energize and organize thinking and action. An intense emotion causes a surge of energy in a person and... But it would be a deep mistake to stop there and consider that emotions simply cause general excitement or a feeling of a surge of energy and. A specific emotion motivates a person to specific activity - and this is the first sign that emotion organizes thinking and activity. Emotions directly influence our perception, what and how we see and hear. So, for example, when experiencing joy, a person perceives everything in a rosy light. Fear narrows our perception, forcing us to see only the frightening object or, perhaps, only the way to escape from it. This is the only thing a person can perceive, the only thing his mind is occupied with when he experiences fear. In anger, a person is angry with the whole world and sees it in black colors, and spurred by interest in an object, phenomenon or person, he longs to explore and comprehend it.
Many years ago, we conducted an experiment (Izard, Nagler, Randall, Fox, 1965) in which we examined the influence of emotions on the perceptual-cognitive domain. The subjects were divided into two groups. The experimenter treated one group kindly and courteously, but showed hostility towards the other. All subjects were given stereoscopes, through which they were asked to look at photographs of people in various emotionally expressive states. (A stereoscope is a device that allows the subject to simultaneously present two images, one of which he perceives with the left eye, and the other with the right; in this case, he perceives a single three-dimensional image that corresponds to either the left or right image, or is a combination of both.) Experimenter randomly inserted pairs of photographs into the devices with images of cheerful and angry people, and the subjects assessed the condition of the person depicted in them. At the same time, irritated subjects from the group with which the experimenter treated them impolitely more often saw angry and angry faces in the stereoscope, while subjects from the control group, on the contrary, more often assessed the state of the people depicted in the photographs as joyful and satisfied. This experiment clearly demonstrated how emotions can influence the perceptual and cognitive spheres of a person. A number of other experiments are devoted to studying this influence.
