#somatic relationships

[bodyalive]

A Case of "Military Neck" I had the most extraordinary session with a client this past week! I have a client with an intractable stiff and painful neck that’s lasted for decades. She had consulted and worked with DC’s, PT’s, and massage therapists. Most of the work done to help her has simply ameliorated the pain and enabled her to function. Computer work seriously aggravates it. We had our 5th session this past week and as a result of sequential NMR sessions, some of which were performed by others and not me, the accumulated improvements enabled us to reach and extraordinary degree of freedom for her neck. There are functional reasons for this event. 1. The neck tissue was softer and more malleable and negotiable as a result of past work. 2. The work has been progressive and cumulative. 3. There were coordination functions that had never been addressed before, such as the ability to do forward/anterior translation and side bend while doing so. For those who know muscle testing, here’s what I found: This intractable problem was a consequence of a dramatic torque to the right at the sub-occipitals. In spite of the Rt dominant rotation, she could not turn right past 15 degrees. Very confusing. The right Obliquus Capitiis Superior was locked ‘ON’ but the partner muscle for right rotation, the Lt SCM, was inhibited/non functional. All kinds of muscles on the right side of the neck were rigid along with OCS: Rt Scalene, Rt Rect Capitiis Minor; Rt Longissimus Capitiis side bending. Many unusual muscle patterns were involved in this confusing pattern. Lt and Rt Cranial extension inhibited the Cervical extensors and Lt and Rt Cervical side bending. When both sides of the body are simultaneously dysfunctional I usually anticipate a deeper level of Contralateral Confusion and the need for Brain Buttons. But that wasn’t happening here. When the neck was translated forward to enhance the Cervical curve the LT side bending muscle inhibited the RT one, but not when her neck was straight. So this client locks back her neck on the left side, flattening the Cervical curve. There was also gait pattern dysfunction with Lt Iliacus being tight but inhibited to the Rt Pec Min. Every crazy dysfunctional pattern we corrected led to more and more mobility. When we finished all directions were moving through full range and testing strong. It was a miracle! Can’t wait to see how it’s working next week…

[Jocelyn Olivier]

[economicsresearch]

pages 225 and 226 - has my life been productive?

No kids that I know of. No party I could say no to. Working just enough (see previous answer). Minimal responsibility for destruction of the rain forest (had a bit of a passion for açaí berries in the mid oughts I will admit). Tried to feel good. Tried to make others feel good.

But I don't remember starting any factories, so I guess the answer is no.

But I don't get it MAN.

This person is called screaming debbie by the way, because those orbs come screaming at you when you're playing the game orbs.

[foursaints]

doing an english major really is like. parents think you make no money. tiktok dark academia people think you just have to read ~oscar wilde~ or ~kafka~ or whatever. and nobody is asking How is the increasingly specialized and delusional paper writing going… nobody is saying Oh please tell me about the gendered body horror inherent in the Pierrot motif and legacy of the commedia dell’arte in the avant garde french symbolist scene of the nineteenth century…. they don’t care about you like that. and also you have no money

[seedsense]

[butts-bouncing-on-the-beltway]

I'm really glad I've been able to learn as much as I have about somatic therapy processes, but also I would like more pls????

[whitewolfstracks]

News from funville, I guess.. I know most people are stressing about completely different things rn, but I need to vent, even if nobody reads it.

So, I'm supposed to visit a new gynaecologist tomorrow...

CW: mentions of SA, doctors, alcohol, meds, PTSD flashbacks, panic attack

I tried to go to sleep early, because I have to get up like 7 hours earlier than today, because my sleep is totally messed up. Took all my psychiatric meds and pain meds, which should help me fall asleep more easily. I also took a bunch of anxiety meds to make sure I will fall asleep. Did some somatic exercises to calm down. And I can't sleep.

What's worse, I started having flashbacks to the time I spent in a relationship with the person who took advantage of me sexually. I guess it's the fear of the pelvic exam by a person I don't know what's triggered it. Idk, I just find it absolutely incomprehensible that it's considered normal.

I have so much trauma about sex I can't stand looking at my body at some days, being reminded I'm a woman, I postpone having to take a bath, because I feel genuine disgust with my breasts. But on the other hand I don't want to. It's my body. It's just a constant reminder of what I let happen.

Sometimes, I can't wash without breaking down in tears or a panic attack. So, letting anyone so close to see my naked body is almost unthinkable to me. Let alone be touched. Especially by someone I don't know. It's just so invasive! It makes me so mad I have to go through this.

My previous gynaecologist wasn't empathetic to my struggles. She also didn't help with my period issues and downplayed my symptoms. So, my social worker has been helping me find a new one.

Now it's here, and idk if I can do it. I've been postponing an appointment with the previous one just because I was so terrified. Now I'm not only not sleeping, I'm having intrusive thoughts about the people who hurt me, and it's driving me to the point of a panic attack.

I said goodbye to my best friend a few days ago. She was the one who found me in my last abusive relationship and helped motivate me to get out of it. She helped me realise I am lesbian when I fell in love with her and that I've always been a lesbian performing compulsory heterosexuality.

Like my last friend I was in love with, I tried to be her friend for many years. Thought if I tried really, really hard, I could manage it. But I couldn't swallow my feelings. And she said she felt like I'm demanding something from her. I wish I could love differently. I can't. This is who I am.

I knew she couldn't give me what I wanted, but it didn't stop me from wanting it. And swallowing it just made me sick. I didn't demand anything. I tried to keep her boundaries as best I could. I tried to keep my space to protect myself. Which, in turn, made her feel I wasn't there for her as a friend. It couldn't work. I couldn't be her friend. We ended things.

And I feel like now without her, there's nothing shielding me from the emptiness inside. I dealt with most of the things in my past. Not those two relationships. So, it's hitting me full on rn. Triggered by that gynaecology appointment.

I just took a shot of liquor, hoping it will knock me out in combination with all the meds so I'll be able to sleep. Or at least just make me not feel and be able to pull an all-nighter because I have to get up in 5 hours. I got better at comforting myself, but these thoughts make my just want to bang the side of my head and scream, "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

This is a desperate try to cope, I know. Not what I usually do. Desperate times require desperate measures? And all that..

Goodnight, I guess

[lesleyapowell]

Embodied Anatomy Pilates Mat w. Lesley A. Powell Zoom

Embodied Anatomy Pilates Mat makes you think differently about your practice and body. Every system; yoga, pilates, ballet, etc., has a repertory of how to warm up the body and create new connections.   When your mind becomes too routine, your practice deadens.  Different themes about the body within the Pilates mat makes you deepen your connections to your body.  For me Pilates is more than a…

[lifewithtonic]

[somehow-furious]

what did you think about the kendall/roman hug? Was it kendall completing the logan transformation and physically abusing roman or was it roman self-inflicting pain onto himself?

porque no los dos? no but literally where's that post about how it's them tearing open the father wound... like i fully thought ken was pulling him in for a hug and the realisation that he was actually pressing roman's wound to his shoulder had me watching like 😟😯

the hug, to me, is the answer to roman's "why isn't it me?" it's kendall saying: because i can do this to you. because you want me to do this to you. like !!! it's kendall hurting roman and roman saying so but still asking for more. still clinging to it. he makes no active effort to pull away. in fact, he actively grinds his head in harder. roman wants the pain and kendall wants to hurt him but it's an act of comfort, too. a sicko scene for the ages. 10/10

[hspcoaching]

[economicsresearch]

page 225 - Believe it or not with duder asleep over there I have nothing to do but think. My thoughts and me haven't always been the best pals. Given enough time with them I just start saying things like:

The longer I spend down here, the less real I feel. I haven't seen myself in months, my skin is damp and soft and I'm not sure if the stones I sit on have permanently dimpled my butt or if my butt is just a series of hard lumps where two luscious cheeks once hung. If there are still nerves alive in me they are tired or bored.

I am but I am not. I think therefore I might be, but it's so gd boring I might as well not be for all the fun I'm not having.

See! Thoughts are dumb.

[plutosunshine]

Where you will find your healing?

The ruler of the 12th house

The 12th house in astrology is often called the "house of the unconscious," dealing with themes of spirituality, isolation, and hidden realms of the psyche. However, it is also deeply connected to healing—particularly on a spiritual and psychological level. Healing in the 12th house is not about the physical body but the soul, mental health, and the release of karmic burdens. It's where we confront and resolve deep-seated fears, self-sabotaging behaviors, and unresolved emotional pain.

The ruler of the 12th house—depending on which house it governs in your natal chart—can offer key insights into the paths or methods through which you may experience healing. 

The ruler of the 12th house is in the 1st house

You might be highly sensitive to the energies around you, often feeling that your inner struggles are visible, even when trying to hide them. Healing, in this context, requires self-awareness—acknowledging and understanding your hidden wounds instead of avoiding or suppressing them. Practices like journaling, introspection, and therapy can help bring these subconscious patterns to light.

With this placement, there is a strong need to express what is typically hidden. Healing may come through showing up authentically in the world, revealing your vulnerabilities, and allowing yourself to be seen, flaws and scars included. Art, creative expression, or public speaking can serve as powerful outlets for releasing buried pain, transforming those deep-seated wounds into something that empowers you.

Because the 1st house relates to your identity, self-image, and physical body, healing may also come through developing self-compassion and acceptance. Often, with this placement, there's a tendency to be too hard on yourself or to internalize the suffering from the 12th house. You may feel like you're carrying a heavy burden without even understanding why. However, developing compassion for yourself, recognizing your limitations, and being kind to yourself are essential steps toward healing. Mindfulness and meditation practices can help cultivate this sense of compassion.

This placement can indicate that spiritual growth and healing are central to your life path. You may find that your healing journey requires a spiritual or mystical approach. Meditation, energy work, or even time spent in solitude and retreat (a key theme of the 12th house) can help you process these deep-seated issues and bring peace to your soul.

Since the 1st house also rules the physical body, there's a direct connection between your subconscious and your physical health. Healing your deep-seated wounds may require body-based therapies, such as yoga, breathwork, or somatic experiencing. This can help release stored traumas in the body, making the connection between mind and body essential for your healing process. Attending to your body's needs and listening to what it's telling you can be a profound way to address long-held emotional or spiritual pain.

The ruler of the 12th house is in the 2nd house

Healing may come through working on your sense of self-worth and how you manage your material resources. Since the 2nd house relates to finances and possessions, you may find that grounding yourself in managing money, acquiring security, and building stability can be therapeutic. Developing a healthy relationship with what you value materially can help ease deeper anxieties rooted in the unconscious.

The 12th house represents isolation and the subconscious. Placing its ruler in the 2nd house suggests you may find healing by withdrawing from the material demands of the world at times. You might benefit from moments of solitude, where you can reflect on what you truly value and connect with your inner self. Meditation, spiritual retreats, or creative solitude can offer profound healing and allow you to realign your priorities.

This placement can suggest that certain old beliefs about money, self-worth, or material security, rooted in the subconscious patterns, must be let go for healing to occur. You may be carrying hidden fears or anxieties related to scarcity or self-worth that, when confronted and released, will open the door to both spiritual and material abundance.

Healing with this placement often requires you to blend the spiritual and material worlds—finding a sense of peace, security, and self-worth by tapping into the deeper, unconscious layers of your psyche. Reflecting on your relationship with money, possessions, and inner values will be crucial.

The ruler of the 12th house is in the 3rd house

Healing can come through communication, learning, and connecting with your immediate environment.

In this context, you may find that expressing your deeper thoughts and emotions—whether through journaling, talking with siblings, or close friends—helps you release buried feelings and heal inner wounds. Healing could also come through engaging in meaningful conversations or learning something new, particularly in areas that help you better understand your inner self.

Activities like meditation, mindfulness, or even writing about your experiences may also serve as powerful tools for self-awareness and emotional release. Traveling within your local area, taking short trips, or spending time in familiar environments also offers a sense of peace and healing, helping you process your emotions more consciously. Finding ways to bridge your inner world with your everyday interactions can unlock powerful healing energies for you.

The ruler of the 12th house is in the 4th house

Healing involves connecting with your home, family, and deepest roots.

In this case, you may find that healing is deeply tied to your family history or your relationship with your home life. Addressing unresolved issues from your past, particularly childhood experiences or family dynamics can bring you peace and closure. Spending time in your home, creating a nurturing and safe space for yourself, or even reconnecting with your family can help you heal emotional wounds that you may have been carrying unconsciously.

This placement also suggests that inner peace may be found through introspection and solitude at home. Practices like meditation, journaling, or simply retreating into the quiet of your private space can help you process and release deep-seated fears or anxieties. You might also find that exploring your ancestral roots or understanding family patterns offers powerful insights into your subconscious and aids in your emotional healing journey. Ultimately, grounding yourself in your personal and emotional foundations will be key to unlocking deep healing.

The ruler of the 12th house is in the 5th house

Healing comes through creative self-expression, joy, and embracing your inner child.

In this case, healing is found when you allow yourself to engage in activities that bring joy, fun, and spontaneity. Creative outlets such as art, music, writing, or any form of artistic expression can help you process unconscious emotions and release internal tension. These mediums connect you with deeper parts of yourself, channeling hidden emotions into something positive and uplifting.

Romantic relationships and love experiences can also help you heal. You may find that engaging in heartfelt, playful connections helps you heal emotional wounds tied to fear or vulnerability. Likewise, embracing your inner child—reclaiming a sense of play, adventure, and excitement—can unlock healing by releasing the weight of hidden fears and anxieties.

The 5th house also governs self-confidence and individuality, so healing comes when you allow yourself to shine and embrace who you are unapologetically. Finding joy in hobbies, spending time with children, or indulging in your passions can help bring about deep emotional and spiritual healing, reconnecting you with your true essence.

The ruler of the 12th house is in the 6th house

When the ruler of the 12th house is in the 6th house, healing is found by merging your subconscious or spiritual needs with practical, everyday actions. You heal through routines, work, health care, and service to others. Daily habits, such as regular exercise or mindfulness, help bring emotional stability, while serving or helping others can provide a deep sense of healing.

Work environments might reflect subconscious fears or anxieties, offering opportunities for self-growth. Holistic practices—like yoga, meditation, or energy healing—are especially beneficial, as they connect the mind, body, and spirit. Addressing psychosomatic symptoms or hidden emotional patterns tied to past experiences is also key to healing.

In essence, healing comes through structured routines, health-conscious habits, and service-oriented actions that balance physical and spiritual well-being.

The ruler of the 12th house is in the 7th house

Your healing process is likely to be intertwined with your relationships. Partnering with others—whether romantic, platonic, or professional—can help you access parts of your subconscious that need resolution. Issues like trust, boundaries, or hidden fears may surface in partnerships, but these relationships also offer profound opportunities for growth and healing.

Since the 12th house has a spiritual or karmic nature, its ruler in the 7th house suggests that certain partnerships may feel destined or karmic. You may be drawn to partners who help you uncover deeper spiritual lessons, and through these connections, you can find peace and emotional healing.

Relationships may force you to confront fears or unresolved issues from your past. Through the mirror of partnership, you can see your own subconscious patterns more clearly. This can be challenging, but facing these fears with a partner’s support leads to healing.

The ruler of the 12th house is in the 8th house

Your healing process is deeply transformative. This placement indicates that in order to heal, you may need to face significant internal changes. You are likely to go through cycles of release and rebirth, shedding old psychological baggage and emerging stronger. This process can be intense but ultimately leads to profound healing and personal growth.

The 8th house is where we encounter the shadow side of life—fear, trauma, loss, and taboo subjects like death and sexuality. The 12th house ruler suggests that you can heal by diving into these areas, bringing hidden fears and traumas to the surface to process and release them. This may involve facing past wounds or subconscious fears that have been buried but are ready to be transformed.

The 8th house rules intimate, deep bonds with others, especially through emotional and physical closeness. Healing can come through these powerful connections, where you learn to trust and surrender control. Vulnerability in intimate relationships allows you to release long-held emotional patterns and find healing in shared experiences.

Since the 12th house relates to spirituality and the subconscious, the ruler in the 8th house suggests that your healing may also involve spiritual transformation. Exploring mystical or esoteric practices, meditation, or engaging in inner shadow work can help you transform subconscious fears into personal empowerment.

The 8th house is often associated with crisis or loss, and while this can be challenging, it also represents opportunities for deep healing. You may find that healing comes after significant life transitions—whether through financial change, the ending of a relationship, or confronting mortality. These events push you to go deeper within yourself, leading to healing through acceptance and transformation.

The ruler of the 12th house is in the 9th house

Healing may come from exploring spiritual teachings, religious practices, or new philosophical ideas. Engaging in deep contemplation about the meaning of life, purpose, and the universe can provide clarity and inner peace.

Travel, particularly to foreign lands, can offer solace and rejuvenation. Exposure to different cultures, spiritual traditions, or sacred places can bring about profound healing experiences.

The 9th house also rules higher education. Healing could come through engaging in study, whether formal education or self-guided learning. This can include reading philosophical works or even studying healing modalities like yoga, meditation, or psychology.

The 9th house, with its connection to belief systems, offers a potential path to healing. Reexamining your personal faith or finding a new belief system that resonates with your soul’s deeper needs can provide a strong foundation for emotional and spiritual healing.

The ruler of the 12th house is in the 10th house

Healing and spiritual growth are closely tied to your career, public life, or social status.

With this placement, you might find that engaging in meaningful work, pursuing a career that helps others, or taking on a role in the public eye brings deep personal healing. You could also be drawn to professions that involve caring for the less fortunate, working in hospitals, mental health, or spiritual fields where you support others behind the scenes. Healing can also come through achieving a sense of purpose and recognition in your work and overcoming any fears of failure or feelings of being unseen.

Balancing your private spiritual needs with your public responsibilities is crucial. If you use your professional life as a vehicle for service or healing, it can be a source of profound fulfillment.

The ruler of the 12th house is in the 11th house

Healing and spiritual growth are closely connected to your friendships, social groups, and long-term aspirations.

With this placement, you might find healing through meaningful connections with like-minded people or by being part of a group that shares common ideals. Participating in humanitarian causes or working toward collective goals can be a source of deep fulfillment and spiritual renewal. You may feel drawn to helping others within your community or engaging in social movements that bring healing to yourself and society as a whole.

Additionally, your spiritual growth can emerge through your ability to connect with people who help you expand your consciousness and allow you to express your unique vision for the future. Your healing journey might also involve balancing your need for solitude with your desire to be part of a larger collective, finding ways to contribute to the greater good while nurturing your own inner world.

The ruler of the 12th house is in the 12th house

This placement signifies a deeply introspective and spiritual journey toward healing.

You may find that solitude, meditation, spiritual practices, or time spent in retreat from the outside world are essential for your healing and personal growth. You’re likely to feel a strong connection to the unseen or mystical realms, and engaging in these areas can provide significant healing. There could be a natural affinity for helping others in quiet, behind-the-scenes ways, such as working in hospitals, spiritual centers, or charitable institutions.

This placement may indicate a need to confront deep-seated fears, unresolved emotional issues, or hidden parts of yourself that have been suppressed. Healing might come from understanding and integrating these aspects of your psyche, working through karmic patterns, or releasing past traumas. Your spiritual journey is one of self-discovery, compassion, and perhaps even surrender, allowing you to experience profound transformation through solitude and inner exploration.

[devilsskettle]

you’re right lol but i’ll add that the thing is for both, they don’t have to be narratively significant, they’re both part of the human experience which makes it inherently worthwhile to portray in art regardless of an individual’s personal preference to engage with art that deals with the topic. and they both happen to be embodied experiences rather than mental ones, which people write off as low brow but i think that’s unfair. but then again i can think of plenty of examples where either gore or sex is narratively significant or in fact the point of the movie

the thing about “meaningless gore” is that even when it’s apparently not intellectual enough for so many people, it forces the viewer to confront the fact that they are just meat, they are mortal, they can and will eventually die, and pain is part of the human experience that unfortunately none of us will escape experiencing at one point or another. life is both horrifyingly fragile and surprisingly resilient which makes existing in a body a fraught experience regardless of whether we want to acknowledge that or not. “to watch a horror movie is to know that something bad is going to happen. to have a body is really the same thing.” anyway that in and of itself is plenty to grapple with and if a film decides to only deal with that, i don’t think it’s less valuable than any other theme a film might address 

[chronicallycouchbound]

PSA: Please don’t ask participants to do grounding/mindful/somatic/etc practices at your events

Grounding exercises should not be an activity in large group settings, especially unsolicited and without warning, especially if you’re not aware of every single person in the space’s mental health conditions, physical health conditions, and personal relationship to their body.

Practices such as mindfulness, grounding, somatic exercises, breathing techniques, body scans, etc. are very helpful therapeutic tools to help manage stress. They can (and do!) help plenty of people– when taught safely and used effectively!

HOWEVER for people with conditions that cause psychosis and/or dissociative conditions such as depersonalization/derealization, these techniques are contraindicated and can make their symptoms significantly worse. They should only be used with guidance from their mental health team and adapted to their needs. For people with conditions like anxiety and PTSD, being aware of breathing can trigger a trauma response or anxiety attacks.

And for people with conditions that cause chronic pain or other uncomfortable bodily sensations, becoming re-centered with their bodies can cause more awareness of the pain they are in, which a level of (ideally functional) dissociation is actually helpful. For people in wheelchairs and powerchairs, touching the ground beneath their feet isn’t always an option. For people with cardiac and pulmonary conditions, deep breathing can be impossible or can trigger asthma attacks. For disabled people in general, doing body scans can be impossible due to paralysis or limb differences. They can bring awareness to things the person wasn’t aware were wrong to begin with (which is helpful in certain spaces, but not a great ice breaker at a retreat!)

And for trans people, binders and other garments can restrict breathing, and taking repeated deep breaths while binding can cause rib damage (which is why you shouldn't bind at night, while coughing from sickness, while exercising, etc). Becoming centered in a body that makes you dysphoric can be deeply distressing, again, a level of functional dissociation helps.

This also goes for plenty of other people in marginalized bodies, such as people of color, people who use substances, queer people, and more. Becoming grounded in your own marginalized body can be a heavy weight to carry, and needs appropriate and individualized care to be a beneficial experience.

As an alternative, I suggest doing a round of gratitudes instead, it allows for people to choose their level of vulnerability in spaces, while not being generally contraindicated for many people. Doing fun (and appropriate to the setting) icebreakers are great. Ask what brings someone to the space. Check-ins about basic needs such as if people need to use the restroom, eat, drink water, are rested, etc. can be more appropriate body check-ins for folks to do.

I don’t recommend doing these exercises even with a warning beforehand. If I'm in the room while someone is leading a breathing exercise, even if I try to ignore it, I (and most people) would automatically become aware of my breathing. The same goes for any other techniques. These techniques can cause real, life-threatening levels of harm for some people, and can even just be deeply uncomfortable or distressing for others. Dissociation is not inherently evil or bad or harmful. It is the way the body and mind naturally respond to adverse experiences (note: it can also cause distress and at higher levels, can be disordered) it is best to allow people to exist as they are in communal spaces. Let people show up as they are.

Most spaces are not equipped or appropriate to respond to emergencies, difficult feelings, and all the varied responses that can come from folks doing mindfulness in group settings.

I personally do some things before large gatherings and events to feel centered on the activity I’ll be doing, and afterward, I decompress. Encourage participants to lean on their natural supports and offer suggestions for it! Be creative in your caring!

This also doesn’t mean to discourage these practices! If you see someone doing deep breathing, check in with them, offer a space for them to decompress, care for them! Worksheets or posters on techniques like square breathing and 5 senses check-ins are great for a quiet room or spaces where participants can decide if they want/are able to engage with those tools. It should be a fully consensual opt-in, rather than being forced to opt-out. Having to leave a room when a group leader says “We’re going to start a mindful breathing meditation, please feel free to leave if you have psychosis, chronic pain, or are trans” is obviously othering and outs people.

Sincerely, someone who has psychotic symptoms, dissociation, chronic pain, is trans and whose body is marginalized in many ways and is really tired from trying to explain this at every event I go to

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Emotions

Definitions in Psychology (Anger; Anticipation; Anxiety; Contempt; Desire; Disgust; Distress; Fear; Guilt; Happiness; Interest; Joy; Pain; Pleasure; Rage; Sadness; Shame; Sorrow; Surprise; Terror; Wonder)

Anger

An emotion characterized by tension and hostility arising from frustration, real or imagined injury by another, or perceived injustice.

Can manifest itself in behaviors designed to remove the object of the anger (e.g., determined action) or behaviors designed merely to express the emotion (e.g., swearing).

Distinct from, but a significant activator of, aggression, which is behavior intended to harm someone or something. Despite their mutually influential relationship, anger is neither necessary nor sufficient for aggression to occur.

Anticipation

Looking forward to a future event or state.

Sometimes with an affective component (e.g., pleasure, anxiety).

Anxiety

An emotion characterized by apprehension and somatic symptoms of tension in which an individual anticipates impending danger, catastrophe, or misfortune.

The body often mobilizes itself to meet the perceived threat:

Muscles become tense, breathing is faster, and the heart beats more rapidly.

May be distinguished from fear both conceptually and physiologically, although the two terms are often used interchangeably.

Considered a future-oriented, long-acting response broadly focused on a diffuse threat, whereas fear is an appropriate, present-oriented, and short-lived response to a clearly identifiable and specific threat.

Contempt

An emotion characterized by negative regard for anything or anybody considered to be inferior, vile, or worthless.

Desire

A strong feeling of wanting or needing something.

Can be a motivating force that drives behavior and influences decision-making.

Can be related to a wide range of things, such as material possessions, experiences, relationships, or personal goals.

Often considered to be an emotion, and it can be accompanied by physical sensations such as an increased heart rate or butterflies in the stomach.

However, it can also be more cognitive in nature, driven by thoughts and beliefs rather than just emotional reactions.

Disgust

A strong aversion.

For example, to the taste, smell, or touch of something deemed revolting, or toward a person or behavior deemed morally repugnant.

Distress

A negative emotional state in which the specific quality of the emotion is unspecified or unidentifiable.

For example, stranger anxiety in infants is more properly designated stranger distress because the infant’s negative behavior, typically crying, allows no more specific identification of the emotion.

Fear

A basic, intense emotion aroused by the detection of imminent threat, involving an immediate alarm reaction that mobilizes the organism by triggering a set of physiological changes.

These include rapid heartbeat, redirection of blood flow away from the periphery toward the gut, tensing of the muscles, and a general mobilization of the organism to take action.

Fear differs from anxiety in that the former is considered an appropriate short-term response to a present, clearly identifiable threat, whereas the latter is a future-oriented, long-term response focused on a diffuse threat.

Some theorists characterize this distinction more particularly, proposing that fear is experienced when avoiding or escaping an aversive stimuli and that anxiety is experienced when entering a potentially dangerous situation (e.g., an animal foraging in a field where there might be a predator).

Whatever their precise differences in meaning, however, the terms are often used interchangeably in common parlance.

Guilt

A self-conscious emotion characterized by a painful appraisal of having done (or thought) something that is wrong and often by a readiness to take action designed to undo or mitigate this wrong.

It is distinct from shame, in which there is the additional strong fear of one’s deeds being publicly exposed to judgment or ridicule.

Happiness

An emotion of joy, gladness, satisfaction, and well-being.

Interest

An attitude characterized by a need or desire to give selective attention to something that is significant to the individual:

Such as an activity, goal, or research area.

Joy

A feeling of extreme gladness, delight, or exultation of the spirit arising from a sense of well-being or satisfaction.

The feeling of joy may take two forms: passive and active. 

Passive joy involves tranquility and contentment with things as they are. 

Active joy involves a desire to share one’s feelings with others. It is associated with more engagement of the environment than is passive joy.

The distinction between passive and active joy may be related to the intensity of the emotion, with active joy representing the more intense form.

Both forms of joy are associated with an increase in energy and feelings of confidence and self-esteem.

Pain

An unpleasant sensation resulting from damage to nerve tissue, stimulation of free nerve endings, or excessive stimulation (e.g., extremely loud sounds).

Physical pain is elicited by stimulation of pain receptors, which occur in groups of myelinated or unmyelinated fibers throughout the body but particularly in surface tissues.

Pain that is initiated in surface receptors generally is perceived as sharp, sudden, and localized; pain experienced in internal organs tends to be dull, longer lasting, and less localized.

Although pain is generally considered a physical phenomenon, it involves various cognitive, affective, and behavioral factors: It is an unpleasant emotional as well as sensory experience. It may also be a feeling of severe distress and suffering resulting from acute anxiety, loss of a loved one, or other psychological factors (see psychic pain).

Because of these various factors, as well as previous experience in pain response, individual reactions vary widely.

Psychologists have made important contributions to understanding pain by demonstrating the psychosocial and behavioral factors in the etiology, severity, exacerbation, maintenance, and treatment of both physical and psychic pain.

Pleasure

The emotion or sensation induced by the enjoyment or anticipation of what is felt or viewed as good or desirable.

Rage

Intense, typically uncontrolled anger.

Usually differentiated from hostility in that it is not necessarily accompanied by destructive actions but rather by excessive expressions.

In nonhuman animals, rage appears to be a late stage of aggression when normal deterrents to physical attack, such as submissive signals, are no longer effective.

Generally includes rapid respiration; thrusting and jerking of limbs; and clawing, biting, and snarling.

Sadness

An emotional state of unhappiness.

Ranges in intensity from mild to extreme.

Usually aroused by the loss of something that is highly valued (e.g., by the rupture of a relationship).

Shame

A highly unpleasant self-conscious emotion.

Arising from the sense of there being something dishonorable, immodest, or indecorous in one’s own conduct or circumstances.

Typically characterized by withdrawal from social intercourse:

For example, by hiding or distracting the attention of another from one’s shameful action—which can have a profound effect on psychological adjustment and interpersonal relationships.

May motivate not only avoidant behavior but also defensive, retaliative anger.

Psychological research consistently reports a relationship between proneness to shame and a host of psychological symptoms, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, subclinical sociopathy, and low self-esteem.

Theorized to play a more positive adaptive function by regulating experiences of excessive and inappropriate interest and excitement and by diffusing potentially threatening social behavior.

Sorrow

A more "intense" emotion than sadness.

Can be caused by a past event (somebody's death, some other great loss).

Implies a long term state, possibly resulting from a past event, or from a past discovery of a long-term condition (e.g. childlessness or an incurable disease of one's child or spouse).

May have its roots in the past, but the stress is an ongoing, long-term state.

Surprise

An emotion typically resulting from the violation of an expectation or the detection of novelty in the environment.

Considered by some theorists to be one of the emotions that have a universal pattern of facial expression.

The physiological response includes raising or arching the eyebrows, opening the eyes wide, opening the mouth wide in an oval shape, and gasping.

Terror

Intense and overwhelming fear.

Wonder

An emotional state that arises when individuals encounter something surprising, unexpected, or profoundly beautiful.

This experience can lead to a heightened state of awareness and a desire to understand or explore the phenomena further.

Wonder is considered a positive emotion that can enhance cognitive functioning, creativity, and overall well-being.

Components of Wonder

Awe: A feeling of reverence and amazement, often in response to something grand or sublime.

Curiosity: A strong desire to learn or know more about the object of wonder.

Admiration: A sense of appreciation for the beauty, complexity, or uniqueness of the experience.

Surprise: An unexpected element that challenges preexisting knowledge or assumptions.

Transcendence: A feeling of being connected to something larger than oneself, often evoking a sense of humility and perspective.

Sources: 1 2 3 ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References ⚜ On Emotions