Neuroscientist Dean Burnett talked about the latest scientific research on negative emotions.
In general, the study of emotions is an emotional neuroscience. Our brain creates an emotional reaction to everything that happens to us, and then we translate it into fear, anger, etc. used to indicate manifestations.
Activity in the brain can be studied by scanning the brain. For example, if a person is afraid, you will immediately notice a movement in the amygdala. With disgust, such activity is observed in the insular lobe, with anger – in the hypothalamus.
So why do we cry so often when we experience negative emotions? In general, there are three types of tears: basal tears (moisturize the eyes every day), reflex tears (wash off the onion vapors or powder if it gets into the eyes), psycho-emotional tears (when we have an emotional reaction to something).
But why did a human have the ability to cry? What’s the use of this? It is believed that this is a sign for the people around us. Это как бы намёк на то, что мы нуждаемся в помощи.
Also, a person consciously begins to look for something that will cause him negative emotions. Например, грустные фильмы, печальную музыку. When you experience a negative emotion in a safe environment, it allows your brain to better process that emotional state for later use. То есть так мозг получает определённый опыт. People who enjoy watching sad movies or listening to sad music cope better with situations in which they feel sad. Also, fans of heavy metal are the most non-violent, as the music they regularly listen to makes them angry. И мозг привыкает с этим справляться.
When it comes to how to deal with negative emotions, it’s important to avoid holding them back. Yes, there are situations when it is better to keep everything under control. But in general it is better not to suppress anything and not force yourself to experience other emotions. Scientific research shows that showing emotions different from what you’ve experienced can be more stressful and more damaging than trying not to.
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Source: Ferra
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