Emotions and Quantity/Quality

[julianlaboy]

Hi everybody!

 

I wanted to see what are your opinions in a specific topic on emotions.

 

Are emotions big chunks that come and go (one is now happy, happiness goes; then one is sad, then it goes; then one is both happy and sad, and then it changes; and on and on...) or are they always present (it's always a matter of degrees)?

 

I have read a lot on the topic and I have decided for the former: to my understanding, emotions are always present. Emotions are basic in our everyday life and they come in degrees and those degrees are what create qualitative differences (happy, sad, etc.). When I say that I am happy, I think that it is because there is a bigger degree in what we may define as being happy (whatever that definition may be). The word emotions come from the word "movere" or to move or "exmovere", to show a move to the "outside".

 

I think this goes hand in hand with Taoist texts when they establish being in favor of being careful with extreme emotions. They do avoid emotions, just extreme emotions. The extreme may very well be referring to being careful with certain degrees of emotions. One may be mad sometimes, OK. But if one is mad and moves (emotions) on a way that harms something outside of him/her (emovere, move to the outside), then we may have a problem.

 

On the other end of the argument, when we are not happy or sad, or whatever, what is happening in terms of our movement? What happens to emotions? Aren't there always some kind of degree of emotions, consciously or unconsciously?

[Marblehead]

While reading your post I tried to identify any emotional feelings I was having at the time. None.

 

Interesting what you suggest though.

 

Is there such a thing as being without emotion? (Just for a short period of time.) I think there is. This is when we are just be-ing.

 

Don't get me wrong. I love my emotions. But then, I do try to avoid the extremes in my old age.

 

It is said that the true Sage appears to be without emotion. Yes, I included the word "appears" intentionally. What a boring life it would be if we ever stopped having and feeling emotions. Well, sure, try to avoid the negative ones but in 'real' life we will have these too so we should experience them, recognize them for what they are (in all truthfulness) and then let them go.

 

Still no emotions going on right now but my butt hurts from sitting so long in front of this computer.

[Brian]

A curious thing about mathematics is that any continuous function can be expressed as a juxtaposition of oscillatory functions of varying amplitudes & varying periods.

 

 

[julianlaboy]

While reading your post I tried to identify any emotional feelings I was having at the time. None.

 

Interesting what you suggest though.

 

Is there such a thing as being without emotion? (Just for a short period of time.) I think there is. This is when we are just be-ing.

 

Don't get me wrong. I love my emotions. But then, I do try to avoid the extremes in my old age.

 

It is said that the true Sage appears to be without emotion. Yes, I included the word "appears" intentionally. What a boring life it would be if we ever stopped having and feeling emotions. Well, sure, try to avoid the negative ones but in 'real' life we will have these too so we should experience them, recognize them for what they are (in all truthfulness) and then let them go.

 

Still no emotions going on right now but my butt hurts from sitting so long in front of this computer.

 

Haha, sorry for your butt...

 

Well, what about an emotion related to object properties, like curiosity (interest being the emotion)? I am sure it isn't "Oh wow, mind blowing interesting stuff here!!!!", but a lesser degree of "hmmm, I am interested in knowing if I have an emotion".

 

I also love my emotions.

 

I remember you. Nice talking with you again!

 

 

A Seeker, would you explain emotions in such a mathematical sense?

[Brian]

<snip>

 

A Seeker, would you explain emotions in such a mathematical sense?

 

 

My thought was simply along these lines -- any arbitrarily complex "curve" (with squiggles and bumps and rolls and relative flat spots, etc.) can be composed of, or decomposed into, a number of less complex curves. Each of those less complex curves can similarly be viewed as composites, as well, until you reach a manageable level of complexity (whatever that means).

 

From this view, a fugue or a single musical note or an emotion or the Dow Jones Industrial Average (or most anything one can imagine) can be viewed as an ever-changing stimulus and/or response in which aspects seem to appear & disappear and change in "shape" over time, but in which patterns may often be discerned.

 

So, the options of "big chunks" or "always there" lead to the answer "it depends..."

 

Edited July 12, 2012 by A Seeker

[julianlaboy]

My thought was simply along these lines -- any arbitrarily complex "curve" (with squiggles and bumps and rolls and relative flat spots, etc.) can be composed of, or decomposed into, a number of less complex curves. Each of those less complex curves can similarly be viewed as composites, as well, until you reach a manageable level of complexity (whatever that means).

 

From this view, a fugue or a single musical note or an emotion or the Dow Jones Industrial Average (or most anything one can imagine) can be viewed as an ever-changing stimulus and/or response in which aspects seem to appear & disappear and change in "shape" over time, but in which patterns may often be discerned.

 

So, the options of "big chunks" or "always there" lead to the answer "it depends..."

 

 

Loved your answer. Reminded me of fractals and how we see them "change" just by changing perspectives.

 

Btw, I adore fugues. I play guitar and that is always the musical style that I enjoy the most. Multiple voices that sound as one tune if we change perspectives.

 

Maybe we'll never know with emotions. Tomatoes speaking of tomatoes... Hehe

[Marblehead]

Well, what about an emotion related to object properties, like curiosity (interest being the emotion)? I am sure it isn't "Oh wow, mind blowing interesting stuff here!!!!", but a lesser degree of "hmmm, I am interested in knowing if I have an emotion".

 

Okay, so I've been thinking. (Yes, I know, I shouldn't do that as I always get into trouble when I do.)

 

Sure, we are always in some sort of emotional state. Generally, for most people this would be a neutral state. When we are thrilled we lean more positive (yang) and when depressed we lean more negative (yin).

 

I think that this is an area of our life where we need harmony. If we can harmonize then the ups and downs we experience in life only add to our personal experiences.

 

I remember you. Nice talking with you again!

 

Thanks. Same here.

[zanshin]

I think it somehow it loops differently than curves and oscillations. Time is the 4th dimension. Happiness is not always the same thing; I do know when I'm happy but not really sure what this word happiness means. Adrenaline, accomplishments and falling in love thrills of youth might seem more yang and positive. When we get older, bliss might be more a state of peace, rest and introspection, more yin but still happy. Falling in love is pretty different at 14 vs. 40, perhaps highs and lows less intense, but somehow it becomes more satisfying. Eventually too, we all experience sadness and pain and don't think we can go on, but usually we do and so we learn to remember this too shall pass. So I do agree that the sage, with wisdom, does not appear to have extreme emotions. However, wisdom comes from experience, hard to get experience in things if you avoid them. I think perhaps the way to get to a point of equaminity is not to withdraw or suppress emotion, but rather to allow yourself to be open to the whole range of experiences and all the feelings good and bad that go along with them. Maybe there is a shortcut, but what fun would that be?

[Marblehead]

I think it somehow ...

You did better with the yin/yang thing than I did. I like yours better. Thanks.

[Everything]

In order to experience physical reality at all, we had to lower our vibrational frequency. We did this trough the emotions of "Worthlessness" and "Guilt." These are the sensations that follows the amount of resistance we had to apply unto our selves. It is extremely unpleasant, which was exctatic unto it self. When you're an eternal being, it feels exctatic to experience powerlessness. Up to this day, we're still enjoying allot of the negative emotions, because we love to delve deeper into this powerlessness and limitation.

 

Before I continue to share the following, you must understand that English is actually a language ment to be written only on toilet paper. That was a joke by the way

 

This is how we lowered our self into this physical dimension.

Word by word translation:

And certainly We established you in the earth and We made for you in it livelihood. Little what you grateful. And certainly We created you then We fashioned you. Then We said to the Angels, "Prostrate to Adam," So they prostrated, except Iblis. Not he was of those who prostrated. said, "What prevented you that not you prostrate when I commanded you?" said, "I am better than him. You created me from fire and You created him from clay." said, "Then go down from it, for not it is for you that you be arrogant in it. So get out; indeed, you of the disgraced ones." said "Give me respite till Day they are raised up." said, "Indeed, you of the ones given respite." said, "Becaue You have sent me astray, surely I will sit for them Your path, the straight. Then surely, I will come to them from before them and from behind them and from their right and from their left, and not You find most of them grateful." said, "Get out of it disgraced and expelled. Certainly, whoever follows you among them, surely, I will fill Hell with you all.

 

worthlessness and guilt

 

Your emotions are a guidance system, telling you how much resistance you have to the frequency of your vibrational being. Negative feelings push the breaks and positive feelings raise the frequency. Neutrality is simply remaining where you are, without acceleration or deceleration. In the entering of this physical dimension, we had to push the brakes on our own frequency real hard, in order to lower ourselves into the experience of this dimension. The only way to do this, was to use our own powers, to limit our own powers. We're still doing so, but we're very good at it. So you may feel pretty neutral at even the lowest frequencies of being. Allthough, that doesn't mean your mind isn't constantly pushing the brakes trough resisting thoughts. If it were not so, you would not even be able to experience physical reality all. You would just instantly shoot to your default vibration of unconditional love.

[ChiDragon]

A curious thing about mathematics is that any continuous function can be expressed as a juxtaposition of oscillatory functions of varying amplitudes & varying periods.

 

 

 

hmmmmmm.........

 

Don't they call that AM and FM modulations in the radio industry.....???

Edited July 13, 2012 by ChiDragon

[Brian]

hmmmmmm.........

 

Don't they call that AM and FM modulations in the radio industry.....???

 

 

Well, sort of -- AM radio is uses a "color of light" (frequency/wavelength/whatever) as the carrier and then embeds an audio signal in real-time onto the carrier wave by altering (or "modulating") the intensity or strength (or "amplitude") of the transmitted wave. In FM, the audio signal is embedded by modulating the frequency/color (within a very narrow bandwidth).

 

In emotions, I haven't noticed an embedded audio signal.

 

Edited July 15, 2012 by A Seeker

[ChiDragon]

 

In emotions, I haven't noticed an embedded audio signal.

 

 

Yes, I guess that is the nuance......

 

 

However, the variance in amplitude or frequency is the hidden audio signal.