Lauri Nummenmaa and his team of molecular neuroscientists were able to map emotions in the body. Their results were astonishing. No matter the sex or nationality, the physical manifestations of emotions are largely ubiquitous across the world. And the surprising answer to this lies in survival.
Nummenmaa suggests this is because emotions are rooted in our survival. When we’re fearful, for example, we prepare to run away by adjusting both our brain, muscle tension and bodily state. Although humans are very sophisticated, in the end, we are built for survival. Constantly screening our internal and external environment for threats and danger. Our emotions are an essential part of our survival giving us safety and danger cues. These reactions have existed longer than the words that use to describe them.
The mind-body connection is real, and our emotions influence our physiology constantly, whether we realise it or not.
New research in the pipeline
Upcoming research by Nummenmaa’s team reveals that certain emotions are linked to chronic and acute pain. Not only does pain affect our emotional landscape, and shift our mood towards more negativity, but it is also an inbuilt alarm system in the brain alerting us to potential danger. When people are in severe pain it impacts their emotional landscape, not surprisingly shifting toward negativity.
Furthermore, neuroscience shows us that emotional pain and physical pain activate the same brain pathways. Author and Psychotherapist Sean Grover explains that muscular tension in the body is tied to emotional states. He even attributes pain in certain body regions to specific emotional states:
The back is associated with stored anger
Digestive problems are more common when one experiences fear and anxiety
Neck and shoulder tension is associated with excessive burdens and responsibilities
Chronically held emotional states switch on our survival mechanisms in the brain, leading to a stress response associated with muscle tension and constant guarding. Chronic muscle tension can cause pain and tension over time.
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