How to Understand Emotional Reactions from Body Reactions to Eventsby David Samuel

Anger at someone in a situation where let's say you almost hit them with your car as example and hurt them gets you very angry and say what a stupid fool. Yet the only damage would be to the other person and it was really an innocent act on their part.  The reason you react with anger is because the adrenalin flow surges through your body when your body has to react quickly without intellect which is far slower than automatic instinctive physical reactions. The adrenalin surges energy through your body like an instant explosion that your mind must deal with in order to get your body to perform adequately in the situation. There is a true story of a woman who picked up a car because her baby somehow got underneath it.

That adrenalin is such a charge of physical energy which you are not accustomed to that creates an emotion because of the chemical release within your body. That instantaneous significant alteration of the bodies physical state creates an emotional reaction and since we are normally unaware of the connection between the body and the emotions or the chemical reactions within the body which create emotions, we react with the first emotion that comes to mind, which instead of guilt is anger, because you would feel guilt for having the accident.
 
Instead of guilt we experience anger because it is much easier to have anger at someone than guilt upon yourself especially if you where not the cause of the situation yet you would have the sense of responsibility.
 
The body is constantly undergoing chemical changes and secreting all sorts of chemicals that are equivalent to drugs. These natural chemicals cause physical changes, fear, danger, sexual, appetite for food, desire for objects well advertised, etc.

The desires for any item react with the body creating the necessary chemicals to give the personality the energy and drive necessary to acquire the desired object. If the desire is intense, then the dosage is strong and desire increased and unceasing. If the desire is weak or passing, then the dosage barely makes a dent in the focus of the person and so is not drastically effective.

If we remain unconscious of the effects that happen due to the constant bombardment of sense objects which force the body to react in its naturally designed manner, then we are subject to lack of concentration, a constant need for distractions, lack of focus or ‘sticking power’.

With the understanding and awareness of what is going on in the body at all times, the opportunity to control and redirect that energy is available. This is one reason why highly successful people often have a very high sex drive. They have learnt, consciously or sub-consciously, to redirect some of that energy instead of just becoming sex maniacs. By the same token, a castrated male of any species becomes docile.

The solution to this is in the development of awareness of the subtle actions and chemical and physical changes within the body at all times, the awareness of the body and its connection to the emotions or emotional states at every moment.
 
The exercise is to try to notice all sensation in the body at every chance you can. This can be done at any moment, sitting in the car, eating, walking reading, any time at all you can simply try to be aware of the sensations that are going on in your body. Eventually you will be able to feel the blood flow. When you move your fingers, you will feel a pull in your toes, all ligaments are connected and when a part moves, everything is effected.

Simply observe what is happening when you move as you would be aware when someone is touching you. Observe when you sit still the sensation of your heart beating, your pulse throbbing, the temperature of the air or feel of what your hands and skin may be touching.

Awareness is understanding and knowledge.  Knowledge is the power which frees us from being unconsciously manipulated by situations we are not aware of, especially those within our own body.

Get yourself into a real sweat, cardio workout, something fast and keep going until you feel you cannot go another second, then keep going further. Try to observe your mind when your body is at the point of great exertion, but please do not do this if your health could be in danger. When you do stop and all you can do is breath to catch your breath, if you can muster the energy to observe yourself and be fully present at that moment, it would be interesting to see what you observe.


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