feelings
Working Your Way Up The Emotional Scale
Is it not amazing how many different emotions we can experience? No one even knows for sure how many different human emotions there are!
Over the years, psychologists and neuroscientists have proposed various models for categorizing and understanding human emotions. The highest total number of distinct emotions identified by a single model is found in the research of Alan S. Cowen and Dacher Keltner, who identified 27 distinct emotions. Their model is one of the most comprehensive in terms of categorizing a wide range of human emotional experiences.
A concept closely related to the wide range of emotions we can experience is that of an emotional scale, also known as an emotional spectrum or hierarchy. This idea involves categorizing and ranking emotions based on various criteria such as their intensity, positivity or negativity, and how they relate to each other.
There are several emotional scales that are used to help us better understand and navigate our emotions. There is Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions, Russell’s Circumplex Model of Affect, David Hawkins’ Map of Consciousness and Abraham-Hicks’ Emotional Guidance Scale.
Emotional scales and models serve a variety of purposes, including therapeutic contexts, self-help, academic research, emotional intelligence training, spiritual growth and guidance, manifestation practices, and other esoteric and practical applications. They help people identify, categorize, and work with their emotions for improved emotional well-being and self-awareness.
Always Feel Free To Own Your True Feelings
Has anyone ever told you that you are too happy? Or has anyone ever told you that you smile too much? My guess is probably never.
So, why is it that whenever we experience negative emotions, be it grief, despair, or depression, we are often told that there is a time limit to such feelings and that we need to get over it. In today’s society, it is essentially also taboo to express feelings of loneliness, sadness, fear, or simply being unhappy.
My brother died at the tender age of 12 and left such a void in our lives that my entire family grieved his loss for decades. Fortunately, we were raised to accept this as a perfectly normal and natural process for us. We all understood that we would work through our feelings of grief and loss in our own way and at our own pace. We did not grieve according to a schedule or set of societal rules.
I find that a useful way to think about feelings and how to process them is to think of our emotions as being processed by our heart and mind like food is processed by our body. Just like food, we need to break down, digest, and assimilate the lessons and insights in our emotions to serve as growth “nutrients” for the soul.
The Value Of Anger In Manifesting Your Desires
A client recently talked about her struggles with anger and that no matter what she did, she could not get rid of her ‘anger issues’. She was concerned that her anger would inevitably attract and manifest more negativity in her life.
Spirit’s response was that there is value and wisdom in anger. The reality is that sometimes we get smoking hot, furious, explosively angry! It is a human response to events that go against our wishes and desires. If it were not a natural reaction, the experience of anger would not be part of our physical life journey.
The truth is that all negative emotions are actually a dear friend who is there to tell us something. It indicates that we are out of alignment with our Higher Self, Spirit and the Divine. When we experience fear, anxiety or anger it indicates that we are out of alignment and no longer in the flow.
A common “pain-causing” tendency is the stories we tell ourselves about the future. One of the most common narratives I find when working with clients is the one that begins: “I will be happy when…”
We create a story about the fulfilment of certain desires and then focus more on the result or outcome rather than the process and the present moment. When our happiness depends on the future fulfilment of a story, we are no longer in resonance with the present reality and out of alignment with the universal flow. We are no longer living fully, we are merely playing an impatient waiting game.
Energy Imprint, Energy Cord, Or Entity Attachment?
In my work, I often encounter people who are experiencing phenomena that are negatively affecting their energy field, causing them to suffer a loss of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health and well-being.
Usually these problems are simply due to their own negative thinking, or external negative energy imprints or residues that their aura has picked up from toxic people or environments. In many cases, it can be due to the energy cord of a dysfunctional or unhealthy romantic relationship or other types of energy cords with family, friends, or co-workers that are contaminating or draining their personal energy and vitality.
In some cases, however, these negative energy influences have a far more sinister origin that the “carrier” or victim is rarely aware of, while it is destroying their well-being and wreaking havoc in their lives.
The problem is that many people do not understand the difference between negative energy imprints, energy cords, and evil entity or spirit attachments. In my experience, the confusion is mainly due to the fact that the effects these three categories of negative energy phenomena have on people are often similar, leading to misinterpretation of the source or cause of these influences and disturbances.
Transform Your Chores Into Moments Of Zen
I recently had to find my “inner zen” when I had to file my taxes in person. Even though I was really, really not in the mood and not looking forward to it at all, I decided to make the most of this dreaded chore by practicing a time-tested spiritual technique of just being present in the moment. This attitude made my day so much easier and more fulfilling.
As I waited in line at the tax office, I couldn’t help but overhear a less than happy man ranting in one of the booths. I felt bad because, well, we are all human and this is about paying taxes, for goodness sake! We can hardly blame others for reacting this way. I mean, who really enjoys doing their taxes?
But I think it’s better to stay calm and carry on, because in the end everything will be fine. Having a “panic attack” or “hissy fit” like the guy in that booth won’t change the situation, except to make it worse. I know from experience that keeping an inner calm always wins the day.
If you have to deal with a chore or task that you are not looking forward to, try to embrace it and immerse yourself in the experience rather than making it worse by creating a lot of resistance around it. There is a lot of ancient wisdom in “being present in the now.” It is no accident that this concept is rooted in various spiritual traditions and teachings throughout history, as it points to a universal truth that is essential for spiritual living and personal well-being.
Anger Awareness For The Empowered Empath
Of all the emotional energies that empaths have to deal with, anger is one of the most powerful and potentially destructive, because empaths feel and react first, and think later.
An empath’s initial reaction to someone else’s angry feelings is usually some form of intense “fight or flight” response.
The more extroverted empath will often respond to the anger with equal force, usually involving a very intense and potentially catastrophic emotional outburst. The introverted empath will usually “flee” the scene or do everything possible to avoid the person who is emitting the anger.
After the initial reaction, the empath’s emotional state will often then shift to sadness, anxiety, or feeling drained and depressed at seemingly inappropriate times and for no apparent reason.
Because it is very common for empaths to be intensely aware of the feelings, moods, and motives of others, sometimes even before others are aware of their own feelings, a strong emotion like anger deeply affects us. And if the other person is a spouse or partner in a romantic relationship, anger can become a proverbial land mine. Ditto if it is a co-worker or employer.
The Spiritual Importance Of Releasing Resentments
I went out for lunch today and had a bad service experience with the waitress. It was as if she didn’t care much to listen to what I wanted. She seemed distracted and careless.
Two and a half months ago, I had a similar experience at another restaurant when the server packed the wrong items for me to take home. I felt ignored, even disrespected. Today’s experience brought back the same feelings and memories.
I was so upset that I decided I was not going to leave her a tip. But then, in the middle of my meal, while feeling angry and somewhat sorry for myself, I overheard a nearby customer calling her friend by the same name as my late mother.
This caused me to pause and reflect on my toxic thoughts about the careless waitress. You see, my mother was also a waitress many years ago. It was how she put food on the table and put us through school.
Perhaps today’s events were meant to remind me during the holiday season how many of us go through life with unhealed “mother wounds.”
Spirit now had my attention and proceeded to make me aware that my waitress had her own issues with her mother growing up, and that she is now a single mother herself, barely making ends meet. This realization instantly changed my perspective and my petulant attitude.