What is this like? How do I expect to feel? )

mental representations from past experiences (e.g.

Where am I? Who am I around? What is that sound?)

sensory information from the outside world (e.g.

Am I alert or calm? Do I feel pleasant or unpleasant?)

internal sensations from our body (e.g.

Barrett describes three basic 'ingredients' that make up the mental experience that we call emotion: Rather than thinking of emotions as labels like happy or sad, Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett proposes a radical new theory on what emotions are, where they come from, and how they shape our lives. In her phenomenal book How Emotions Are Made, Dr. The not-so-great part is that researchers studying emotions have spent a century essentially taking this model at face value and searching for these characters in the brain. This aligns with our intuitive sense of how emotions work and makes for great entertainment.

Pixar's Inside Out is a great illustration of the classical model of emotion, which assumes that our actions are controlled by a number of basic emotions – Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger. It also helps you develop a richer emotional life that translates to more long-term satisfaction.Ī good starting place to delve into the latest research on emotions, which breaks from many of our most firmly held ideas about how emotions work.

Thinking about emotions in a structured way is important because it gives you a framework for understanding what you're feeling and why.

How emotions are made lisa