It's just Physical, Or is it?

William James and Carl Lange created a psychological theory which said that we feel certain physiological reactions to a stimulus in certain parts of our body, which lead to emotions. On the other hand Walter Cannon and Philip Bard were of the opinion that emotions and physiological reactions occur simultaneously yet separately from each other. Yet another theory is that of Schachter-Singer, which says that emotions are a result of physiological arousal and the cognitive label that our brains assign to it.

Their names matter because even if we don't realize it, we think about what they said. We believe in one of them and reject the others. Don't agree with me? Let's prove it.

Haven't you ever felt anxiety as a knot in your chest? Have you ever been unable to speak because sadness tightened your throat? When you are furiously happy, does your heart not swell? Even if none of the above has ever happened to you, I'm sure all of you have felt butterflies in your stomach. All of these are physiological reactions. People have different reactions to them.

• If they believe that because there are butterflies fluttering in their stomach, they are feeling attracted towards a certain pookie, James and Lange agree.

• If they find their crushing on some hunk is unrelated to the wings flapping in their stomach, Cannon and Bard hold the same opinion.

• Schachter Singer however, believe that, when they feel the butterflies fluttering in their stomach, their brain tells them it is because of a crush, and therefore they feel attraction.

Each of us must be believing in one of these, or we might just never have thought about it and live in blissful oblivion, but I have. And thus, after proving my point and ending this ongoing psychological ramble, I come to my opinion.

I. Don't. Care.

I don't care which part comes first.

I don't care what causes what.

I absolutely don't care whether our cognitive labels are constructed by society and thus we only feel certain emotions as a reaction to physiological events because society has narrated it as such to us since birth.... (ok, maybe I do care about that a little bit).

But what I care about most, is that it is simply, frustratingly, annoyingly, irritatingly, inconvenient. It's inconvenient when I have a research paper due tomorrow but I can't focus because my gut is clenching in anger. It's inconvenient when my head hearts because some homo sapiens made me feel hopeless today. It's inconvenient when I can't find words to express the pain in my throat because I'm just sad.

It's inconvenient when my body feels more than my brain has time for.

Because what do you mean, just because I'm hurt by a fight I had, suddenly my chest is tightening and my head is hurting and I can't even make a logical argument in my M.U.N. the next day?

If my brain insists that I'm fine, why can't my body listen? It's as stubborn as me, that's why. And much less delusional too. It doesn't dismiss my emotions as easily as the brain does. It doesn't let go. It requires attention, and so it demands attention. It demands to be taken care of, acknowledged, resolved, even pampered. And many a times, that's what works. Solving a problem in the opposite sequence. Solving the physical to understand the mental. Maybe sometimes, if you massaged your head and reduced the pain behind your eyes through some rosewater, your frustration would abate and your mind would learn to accept everyone's point of views. Maybe if you had a hot beverage when you were upset, your throat would clear up and you would be able to communicate why you were hurt, in order to resolve it. Maybe, just maybe, it is worth trying? If the body is demanding attention and care, give it. It your physiological reactions are screaming their emotions at you, listen. And don't ignore, it'll be faster that way.... Trust me.

Love, Ri.