Phenomenological Descriptions

Surprise , in my view, is also an experience that is difficult to capture phenomenologically — as is, for example, the state of flow or joy as plenitude — but for different reasons. Flow and joy as plenitude are difficult to access because they are rare states, and flow , in particular, tends to dissolve the moment we try to observe it. Surprise , in turn, is not necessarily rare, but depends on a stimulus that is difficult to evoke voluntarily, making its occurrence unpredictable and hard to isolate for an investigative self-observation. The startle reflex — which can be seen as a reaction similar to surprise , though not identical — also depends on something unexpected, but it is easier to elicit, as it can be triggered by sudden, simple sensory stimuli, such as a loud sound or a quick movement. Even when we know a sound is about to occur, if we don't know exactly when it will happen, we can still experience the startle . Thus, surprise is different from other emotions that I ...

 Envy, Jealousy, Guilt, Pride and Admiration How do you feel emotions such as envy, jealousy, guilt, pride, and admiration? Before moving on to my phenomenological description of these experiences, I invite you to investigate for yourself: how do these emotions manifest in you? 〰 Description In general, my perception of so-called complex emotions is that many of them do not exhibit expressive characteristics or bodily sensations as clearly defined as those found in the so-called “ basic emotions .” However, some exceptions stand out. Shame , for example — considered by some theories to be a complex emotion — has a very clear and recognizable expressive configuration and bodily sensations ( see here ). Envy and Jealousy In my experience, envy and jealousy do not have phenomenological features distinct enough to differentiate them from basic emotions based solely on bodily sensation or expression. What seems to distinguish them are the cognitive appraisals involved and the contexts ...