Body Atlas Reveals Where We Feel

Happiness and Shame

By Gemma Tarlach[1] | December 30, 2013 2:00 pm

[2]

Yellow shows regions of increased sensation while blue areas represent

decreased feeling in these composite images. Image courtesy of Lauri
Nummenmaa, Enrico Glerean, Riitta Hari, and Jari Hietanen.
Chests puf ng up with pride and happiness felt head to toe are
sensations as real as they are universal. And now we can make an atlas
of them.

Researchers have long known that emotions are connected to a range

of physiological changes, from nervous job candidates sweaty palms
to the racing pulse that results from hearing a strange noise at night.
But new research reveals that emotional states are universally
associated with certain bodily sensations, regardless of individuals
culture or language.

Once More With Feeling

More than 700 participants in Finland, Sweden and Taiwan

participated in experiments aimed at mapping their bodily sensations
in connection with speci c emotions. Participants viewed emotion-
laden words, videos, facial expressions and stories. They then self-
reported areas of their bodies that felt different than before theyd
viewed the material. By coloring in two computer-generated
silhouettes one to note areas of increased bodily sensation and the
second to mark areas of decreased sensation participants were able
to provide researchers with a broad base of data showing both positive
and negative bodily responses to different emotions.

Researchers found statistically discrete areas for each emotion tested,

such as happiness, contempt and love, that were consistent regardless
of respondents nationality. Afterward, researchers applied controls to
reduce the risk that participants may have been biased by sensation-
speci c phrases common to many languages (such as the English cold
feet as a metaphor for fear, reluctance or hesitation). The results[3]
are published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences.

Hot-Headed

Although each emotion produced a speci c map of bodily sensation,

researchers did identify some areas of overlap. Basic emotions, such as
anger and fear, caused an increase in sensation in the upper chest area,
likely corresponding to increases in pulse and respiration rate.
Happiness was the only emotion tested that increased sensation all
over the body.

The ndings enhance researchers understanding of how we process

emotions. Despite differences in culture and language, it appears our
physical experience of feelings is remarkably consistent across
different populations. The researchers believe that further
development of these bodily sensation maps may one day result in a
new way of identifying and treating emotional disorders.

Read more news stories about the science of emotion here[4].

MORE ABOUT: emotions[5]

Links

1. http://discovermagazine.com/authors?name=Gemma+Tarlach
2. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/ les/2013/12/13-21664-
large.jpg
3. http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1321664111

4. http://discovermagazine.com/tags?tag=emotions
5. http://discovermagazine.com/tags/?tag=emotions