Thread: Simultanious thoughts & emotions

I think it is possible to be aware of two simultaneous emotions. When one of my best friends was murdered, I went through this a lot. My best friend and I spent some time together and in that, we were so happy to at least have each other in our lives, but we were both so depressed about the untimely demise of our friend......

Originally posted by Gwendolyn
I think it is possible to be aware of two simultaneous emotions. When one of my best friends was murdered, I went through this a lot. My best friend and I spent some time together and in that, we were so happy to at least have each other in our lives, but we were both so depressed about the untimely demise of our friend......

Sorry to here of such a crappy occurance Gwendolyn. Sorry for your loss!
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I know what you are saying.
But lets say I am very angry at my wife for something. Anger is residing at the moment. However love, compassion and such are still there. But in the foreground. They are not being experienced are they? Simultaneously, that is

[quote]But lets say I am very angry at my wife for something. Anger is residing at the moment. However love, compassion and such are still there. But in the foreground. They are not being experienced are they? Simultaneously, that is[/color]
I think it has to be simultaneous. If all you felt was anger, and that anger was not tempered by love and compassion and the emotions associated with warm experiences of the past, you would very likely be much harsher in your words and actions, not holding back or softening your words to preserve the feelings of the one you love. It would be as if you were arguing with a stranger you met on the street - someone for whom you have no warm feelings. Don't you think you would be harsher with a stranger?

I think you may not be immediately conscious of the non-dominant emotions of the moment (such as love and compassion when you are feeling angry at your wife), but those emotions are still there and you still feel them. Emotions, unlike thought, come in gradations. You can be content, cheerful, happy, or ecstatic - all (roughly) gradations of the same emotion, so mixing emotions also seems plausible – two parts joy, one part melancholy might work out to be “cheerful,” who knows.

But thoughts are not like that, at least in my experience. I may be thinking of several things "at once," but in reality they are in series, like a bunch of processes stored in RAM that I access quickly one after the other, giving the illusion of simultaneity. Thought is, to me, a conscious thing, so I'm not talking here about what some might consider "subconscious thoughts" such as "stewing" on things that are bothering one - not giving it conscious attention. To me, that seems more like experiencing the emotion associated with the "stewed" thought, rather than the thought itself, since no intellectual resources are being allocated to analyze and work through the thought or idea. (*Drops two pennies in the jar*)

Btw, Howie, your avatar could give Chinese children seizures

Well thoughts is something different. I think that thought and speach are very similar. When you really think you Kind of just say things out loud in your head. My guess is that one brainside actually really thinks about stuff, like talks about it, like Really on your mind. And the other part of your brain just subconiously bombs you with info and shit. Like all of a sudden you remember where you left your keys, or you baby or something. You don't really think of that actively, you just try, and your brain -poof- finds the awnser.

Originally posted by Peregrinus

I think it has to be simultaneous. If all you felt was anger, and that anger was not tempered by love and compassion and the emotions associated with warm experiences of the past, you would very likely be much harsher in your words and actions, not holding back or softening your words to preserve the feelings of the one you love. It would be as if you were arguing with a stranger you met on the street - someone for whom you have no warm feelings. Don't you think you would be harsher with a stranger?

I think you may not be immediately conscious of the non-dominant emotions of the moment (such as love and compassion when you are feeling angry at your wife), but those emotions are still there and you still feel them. Emotions, unlike thought, come in gradations. You can be content, cheerful, happy, or ecstatic - all (roughly) gradations of the same emotion, so mixing emotions also seems plausible – two parts joy, one part melancholy might work out to be “cheerful,” who knows.

But thoughts are not like that, at least in my experience. I may be thinking of several things "at once," but in reality they are in series, like a bunch of processes stored in RAM that I access quickly one after the other, giving the illusion of simultaneity. Thought is, to me, a conscious thing, so I'm not talking here about what some might consider "subconscious thoughts" such as "stewing" on things that are bothering one - not giving it conscious attention. To me, that seems more like experiencing the emotion associated with the "stewed" thought, rather than the thought itself, since no intellectual resources are being allocated to analyze and work through the thought or idea. (*Drops two pennies in the jar*)

Isn't that what often happens when arguments occur. Rationalization is thrown out the window. At times things that are said are regretted.

two parts joy, one part melancholy might work out to be “cheerful,” who knows.[/b]

To me this makes complete sense. I will argue it with the thought based argument as well as the emotional aspect.
I feel that the thought, as you say comes in series. I think so to would emotions.
In either case, the series are from an underlying foundation that is prevalent throughout the entire experience.

[quote]
Isn't that what often happens when arguments occur. Rationalization is thrown out the window. At times things that are said are regretted.
Yes, but I think the situations are more severe when the people involved don’tt have a normally warm relationship. In those situations, there are no emotions save anger, no underlying foundation to temper the heat of the moment. I can't speak for other people, but when I become angry at people I don't know very well or know and don't like, I'm far harsher than when my anger is directed at someone about whom I care. It's not that I flip back and forth between being angry at a loved one during an argument and then feeling loving toward them. The anger during that moment feels constant, but the caring I've built for that person also runs throughout - at that moment, I'm aware of both love and anger, despite the fact that the anger is dominant in the moment.

I'd say that thinking that we can feel different emotions simultaneously is a result of a lack of words for emotions, and so when we feel an emotion it must be described by multiple words for emotions and it appears that we are experiencing multiple emotions when in reality we are experienceing one emotion that we don't have a word for.

On the other hand I don't think its exactly true that we can only think one thought at a time. I think we can only focus on one thought at a time, but that we also have many periphreal thoughts going on at the same time, the same is true of all the senses, and of emotions as well.

sorry if I'm being redundant, I didn't backread. here's my thoughts:

I would submit that there are two types of 'feelings' which could be described as emotions

the first is emotion, the result of neurotransmitters and hormones making you feel basic emotions like fear, anger, sadness, happiness, etc. I guess I'd call these the basic emotions.

The second is higher on the evolutionary ladder, what I'd call feelings, which are like emotions except more complex. Imagine you couldn't speak a language. what would your thoughts be? why, without words to describe them they'd simply be feelings, inclinations if you will, which are a mix of emotion and logical thought but is inexpressible. These inclinations are unique for a situation, and so they could only be categorized loosely. For instance, one asks oneself, 'how do i feel about abortion?' Well, that's a question on the edge of our understanding of ethics and so of course you're going to have 'mixed emotions' about it. The descriptions may elude you but you get a 'feeling' which is a blend of logic and emotion before you begin to break the emotion down into words.

If I understand your question correctly, then I have to say that not only do I believe we can think simultanious thoughts but also have simutanious emotion, here is why.

Not only can you think of, lets say, what the TV show your watching is relating but you can at the same time be comparing that with what you know to be true, simutaniously judging, referencing, calulating, and at the same still asborbing input from the TV.

Also when you have concious thought about something and your thinking or deciding which side to take on an issue. Who are you talking/thinking to. Who is talking to you inside, and who is making the decisions. I think we have an intellectual side, an emotional side, and spirtual side, and they all can conflict at the same time during reasoning thought.

I also think that emotionally we can be torn with love and hate, fear and bravery. If you have ever had anyone cry tears of joy in your arms you would understand. I know that I have fought fear to perform a task that had to be done. Was I brave or stupid, that is my only question.

This was a good on to think about.

Originally posted by Belisarius+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Belisarius)</div>

I'd say that thinking that we can feel different emotions simultaneously is a result of a lack of words for emotions, and so when we feel an emotion it must be described by multiple words for emotions and it appears that we are experiencing multiple emotions when in reality we are experienceing one emotion that we don't have a word for.

On the other hand I don't think its exactly true that we can only think one thought at a time. *I think we can only focus on one thought at a time, but that we also have many periphreal thoughts going on at the same time, the same is true of all the senses, and of emotions as well.[/b]

I thought I pointed out the fact that one can only truly focus on one thought at a time. It seems I have had a dozen thoughts in an instance. But to truly give cognitive reasoning to Aparticular thought.

This was what was meant to be represented walterallen1. Sorry if this was unclear.

Originally posted by walterallen1@
If I understand your question correctly, then I have to say that not only do I believe we can think simultanious thoughts but also have simutanious emotion, here is why. *

<!--QuoteBegin-Dangeruss
I would submit that there are two types of 'feelings' which could be described as emotions *

the first is emotion, the result of neurotransmitters and hormones making you feel basic emotions like fear, anger, sadness, happiness, etc. I guess I'd call these the basic emotions. *

The second is higher on the evolutionary ladder, what I'd call feelings, which are like emotions except more complex. Imagine you couldn't speak a language. what would your thoughts be? why, without words to describe them they'd simply be feelings, inclinations if you will, which are a mix of emotion and logical thought but is inexpressible. These inclinations are unique for a situation, and so they could only be categorized loosely. For instance, one asks oneself, 'how do i feel about abortion?' Well, that's a question on the edge of our understanding of ethics and so of course you're going to have 'mixed emotions' about it. The descriptions may elude you but you get a 'feeling' which is a blend of logic and emotion before you begin to break the emotion down into words.

Both of your post got me to thinking. How much credit does anybody give the subconscious for the sake of thought? We address the subconscious as an after thought, something to stew on with our conscious thought.
Well what if the subconscious is playing a role in the background to these simultaneous thoughts and emotions we are discussing?

Originally posted by Dangeruss
I would submit that there are two types of 'feelings' which could be described as emotions

the first is emotion, the result of neurotransmitters and hormones making you feel basic emotions like fear, anger, sadness, happiness, etc. I guess I'd call these the basic emotions.

The second is higher on the evolutionary ladder, what I'd call feelings, which are like emotions except more complex. Imagine you couldn't speak a language. what would your thoughts be? why, without words to describe them they'd simply be feelings, inclinations if you will, which are a mix of emotion and logical thought but is inexpressible. These inclinations are unique for a situation, and so they could only be categorized loosely. For instance, one asks oneself, 'how do i feel about abortion?' Well, that's a question on the edge of our understanding of ethics and so of course you're going to have 'mixed emotions' about it. The descriptions may elude you but you get a 'feeling' which is a blend of logic and emotion before you begin to break the emotion down into words.

I think this guy has got the right idea.

It's commonly thought that we all have certain "basic emotions" and that the more complex emotions we feel are simpy varying combinations of these basic emotions. Naturally, psychologists can't agree on which emotions are "basic" or not, but typically included are happiness, sadness, anger, and fear. Some also choose to include other emotions such as surprise and disgust. Anyway, the more complex emotions such as guilt, pride and anxiety are thought to be experienced when we feel different combinations of basic emotions simultaneously. Of course, this is all theory .

It's often impossible to trace the origin of thoughts and feelings...nor does it really matter.

Everyone has a different exp, so nobody can say for another person if he/she has one or several of each at the same time.

But a general rule is that whatever we focus on gets bigger. Our conscious mind can only focus at one at a time, even if there is other crap in the background. That's for our subconscious to deal with....

I agree with Air Rick to the point that only 1 emotion can come out at a given time.

For me it seems like 1 emotion is always dominating my conscious mind, while the rest are dormant in the subconsious still waiting to come forward. If happiness is the current dominating emotion, but many frustrating events occur during the day, then maybe the dominating emotion will shift to frustration, and happiness will take a back seat for a while.

that hasn't been my experience at all. In almost all situations except emotional climax I'm feeling emotionally ambiguous. I could write down my feelings at any given moment and they would always be slightly different from another moment's feelings.

And what about people whose emotions are difficult to read? what about people with mood swings? Sometimes what they consider to be the dominating emotion is simply the result of averaging several different emotions experienced over a length of time, and so although people like this can drive me nuts sometimes, i admit that they also appear to have greater emotional 'depth' than I do.