It hurts in the heart

2018/12/24 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna
• Anatomia/Fisiologia

“My heart hurts,” says one, to make his friend understand the size of the pain he feels, is so deep and true. Another has nested rage in the guts, and he is about to break his head, worried.

These examples show that feelings have their place in the body, at least some. But to what extent are they metaphorical? Why do we associate some feelings and emotions with certain parts of the body: because we have learned to say so, or really our body, through physical signals, expresses the quality of a feeling or an emotion? Not all occur in the brain?

Turku University of Finland has been researching the relationship between emotions and the body for years, and there is no doubt that feelings have their place in the body. Moreover, the sentiment map has recently been presented.

To complete the map, the information of more than a thousand participants has been analyzed. On the one hand, they have collected their subjective opinions through surveys and, on the other, have carried out an analysis of brain activity data. With all this, they have classified feelings and emotions and have seen where they are.

Thus, considering the origin of feelings, they have divided them into five groups: those produced by positive emotions, those that come from negative emotions, those derived from cognitive processes (that occur when hearing or remembering something, among others), those caused by the somatic situation (that appear when we are sick) and homeostatic (such as hunger or thirst).

And what place do they occupy in the body? In general, the closer two feelings are, the closer they are on the map. The place of some is easily known: hunger in the womb, thirst in the throat and reason in the head. Others, on the other hand, are less breasts: solidarity and recognition (positive feelings), and guilt and despair (negative), feel above all in the heart, but also in the head and in the womb. The same happens with desire and fatigue, which despite being opposite feel in the same place: throughout the body.

On the other hand, self-control is felt in the head and hands, and anger and anger also take place. In fact, it is common to move hands when expressing anger.

Therefore, researchers conclude that feelings are materialized. In his opinion, it is possible that in evolution there have been feelings to transmit to the body information about himself and about the environment; to know that he is sick or that there is a situation that benefits him… In addition, they have stressed that positive emotions are related to well-being, and vice versa, the negatives are related to diseases. Therefore, a good knowledge of this relationship can contribute to physical and psychic well-being.

Published in Berria