Where Your Body 'Feels' Emotions Revealed In New Study 

Scientist research that the common emotions can trigger sensation in our bodies. We often experience emotions directly in the body. when scientist asked people to map out where they felt different emotions on their bodies then people reported that happiness and love sparked activity across nearly the entire body, while depression had the opposite effect it damped feelings in the arms, legs and head. Danger and fear triggered strong sensation on chest area. "Our emotional system in the brain sends signal to the body so we can deal with our situation"

When you see a snake and you feel fear, your nervous system increases oxygen to your muscles and raises your heart rate so you can deal with the threat. it is an automated system we don't have to think about it.

More than 700 participants in Finland, Sweden and Taiwan participated in experiments aimed at mapping their bodily sensation in connection with specific emotions. Participants viewed emotion-laden words, videos, facial expression and stories. The participants then painted areas of the body that felt stimulated by that emotions.

for example, if person was experiencing sadness, they felt more in their chest, neck and face, but they felt less in their extremities. This is reflected on the map with warmer colours showing higher 'emotional topography' and cooler colours showing lower 'emotional topography'.

Figure shows that the Mean levels of experience of basic emotions while reading the stories in experiments. Target emotions for each story are represented on the perimeter, different lines show experience of each emotion. AN-anger; FE-fear; DI-disgust; HA-happiness; SA-sadness; SU-surprise; NE-neutral.

All of the emotions generated changes in head area, suggesting smiling, frowning, or skin temperature changes, while feelings like joy and anger saw upticks in the limbs-perhaps because you are ready to hug, or punch, someone. Meanwhile, "sensations in the digestive system and around the throat region were mainly found in disgust".

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