CHAPTER XIII 



EMOTION 



THE fact has been emphasized that a very large propor- 

 tion of the action of the nervous system proceeds without 



clear tokens iii consciousness. On the other hand, it may 

 be urged that the general coloring of consciousness is 

 symptomatic of much that is taking place in all depart- 

 ments of the neural mechanism and, indirectly, of many 

 states <>f the outlying organs which we cannot attend to in 

 an analytic fashion. Our intense feelings we speak of as 

 emotions, and it is generally held that their development 

 depends in a great measure upon conditions outside the 

 cerebrum through which the fusion of effect. - is brought 

 about. 



The doctrine that stirring feelings never have an ade- 

 quate force in the mind until there is a characteristic 

 inflow of afferent impulses from various sources to give 

 them posit iveness is known as the James-Lange theory. 

 According to this view a person is not truly angry until 

 his muscles have assumed a certain tension, his heart 

 action a certain rhythm, and his blood-vessels a certain 

 tonic regulation. He does not reali/e rage until his facial 

 expression and his posture combine to denote it. His 

 emotion is interpreted to himself by the same signs which 

 make it known to others. If one who feels angry can 

 inhibit the muscular manifestations and relax his feature- 

 he will experience a >ense of ludicrous impotence and dis- 

 satisfaction, though he may be well aware that the occa- 

 -ion tor hi> wrath retains its full validity. 



So the experience of grief in it- fiilne-- require* the sen- 

 sations thai accompany the muscular -tate of one who has 

 ii way to -orrow and I he tingle of shedding tears. To 

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