How to Pick Your Thoughts to Pick Your Feelings

#Science

Photo by Allef Vinicius on Unsplash

The Molecules of Emotion

On Sunday, 19 May 2024,

Victoria

published this article, How Emotions are Made. It is a fascinating look at how the brain relies on past experiences to define emotions in others – and in ourselves.  I have already put some of the science discussed (and displayed in an incredible Ted Talk on YouTube) to good use.  I won’t know the results for a while, but when I am feeling sad about my own impending loss, I am consciously working on switching my thoughts to gratitude for the 25 years Mr. J and I have been lucky to have, 23 of which have been deliriously happy.  The other two, which happened a long time ago, had some big lessons for both of us to learn, internalize, and apply to our relationship going forward.  So still much to be grateful for.

Victoria

’s post got me thinking.  *Checks notes*  The topic of our brain and our emotions is on my list of things to write about.  It’s about something I learned during the aforementioned not deliriously happy times which has served me and Mr. J well over the years.  I figure writing about this now is as good a time as any.

Dr. Candace Pert

Dr. Candace Pert, a neuroscientist, founded a new area of study, psychoneuroimmunology.  In 1997, she published her book, entitled, The Molecules of Emotion.  In this book (and this is the layperson’s version) Dr. Pert reported on her findings regarding peptides, cells, and emotion. 

Science for the Layperson

Many of us took high school biology.  The basic structure of the cell is often compared to the structure of an egg, with the yolk representing the nucleus, and the cell walls similar to the shell of an egg. This is somewhat imprecise but works for 9^th graders.  Want to extract DNA from a cell?  You have to break open the cell walls to get at the nucleus.  But contrary to cracking the hard shell of an egg by banging it on another solid object, such as the edge of a bowl, cell walls are very soft – and very fluid.  Cells, according to Dr. Pert, are more like candle flames than eggs in shape.  Just like a candle flame, the cell can change shape.  In those cell walls, which are constantly flickering like flames, there are receptors.  Receptors for things like grief, joy, anger, embarrassment, sadness, giddiness – you know, emotions.  Peptides settle into those receptors.  Imagine the peptides are the keys, and the flickering flame of the cell contains a keyhole.  Now here’s the fascinating part.  The keyhole changes to accommodate different peptides.  The peptides that bring on the feeling of sadness are not the same size or shape as the peptides for joy.

Pick Your Thoughts, Pick Your Feelings

What does all this mean?  Your brain, or, more precisely, your thoughts, dictate the size and shape of the keyhole.  Then the appropriately shaped peptide inserts itself into the cell like a key into the lock.  In other words, your thoughts dictate your emotions.  Yep.  Science.  When I first read this, I was both fascinated and dubious.  I had always thought (without, I might add, any actual data) that my emotions dictated my thoughts.  Perhaps you share that view. 

Let’s Gather Some Data

Here's an experiment.  Play along, will you?

Check out this video.  Listen to the words and watch the pictures on the screen.  I’ll wait.  It’s only four minutes.  Notice how you feel, listening to a song about a person who lost their life while defending the country.  (Leave your thoughts about the appropriateness of said defense aside.  Just focus on the song, the video, and the meaning.)

If You're Reading This

How do you feel?  Devastated? Weepy? Just generally sad?

That’s your brain, dictating your emotions.  Don’t stop reading just yet.  I’ll fix it.

Now try this song.  Listen to the words.  Watch the dancing.  You are free to move about and join in the dance if you’d like.  It should improve your mood dramatically. 

I Gotta Feeling

You’re welcome.

What Does This Mean?

Well, for one thing, if you feel like you need a good cry, you can probably find a sad song that will help you along.  Alternatively, it means you can coax yourself out of a bad mood by changing your thoughts (and relying on YouTube for a bit of a push if you need one).  This is not to say that you will never be sad again.  It is not to say you won’t go through moments of grief, self doubt, or despair.  But knowing that you have the power to modify the feelings, or at least modify the intensity of the feelings, is a powerful tool you should have in your toolbox.