RELEASE THE EMOTION - 3: A typology of emotions

	Section 3
A TYPOLOGY OF EMOTIONS		Note: This is a sample from the course: three chapters out of a total of 9 + 5 audio tracks + a pdf e-book.
	Before going into describing the method, a descriptive model for emotions will first be presented. Basic emotions are anger, joy, fear and sorrow. * But our emotional spectrum is full of nuances - we experience numerous different emotions, that can be a combination of the four basic emotions, but which in most cases are more subtle than that. A descriptive model needs therefore be much more detailed. In the next section a model will be presented, a model that is based how the emotions influence us, both psychologically and physiologically.
Some emotions increases our energy and help us to act, others drain our energy and make us weak and inactive. Emotions can be sorted into different main types of emotions, and these can be placed in order of precedence depending on how much psychological energy they give or take. The following picture illustrates, in the symbol of a tree with branches, leaves, trunk and roots, such an labeling and ranking: The trunk, roots and branches represent our thoughts and mental images. The trunk represents our basic values and beliefs, the branches represent thoughts about different aspects of our life, the nerves of the leaves are specific thoughts, and the leaves are the emotions. The roots represent subconscious and basic beliefs and convictions, which often are rooted in childhood and upbringing. ”Beneath the surface” the beliefs about our three basic needs reside: our need for security, our need for having control of what is happening around us, and our need for being seen and acknowledged. These three basic needs are real, and we all have them. In certain situations our thoughts about that one of these needs is not met can be completely or partly incorrect, and when we then are driven by this belief, the result may be the opposite - we become insecure, we feel out of control or we feel ignored. The picture also illustrates the two basic needs that oppose each other: our need of being an unique individual and our need for experiencing solidarity and oneness with others. When these needs are activated, they often trigger strong emotions. Many religions describe this basic apparent conflict (the ego versus God), and they offer different solutions for how this conflict can be overcome.

The different main groups of emotions (circled in the figure above) correspond to different levels of consciousness. Each of these levels correspond with specific thought processes, self-image and image of God. The first table below describes the levels that give energy, the first level giving the most. The second table describes the levels that cost energy, the last level costing the most. At each level, the tables describe the corresponding basic emotion, the thought process, the self-image, and (for those having a spiritual orientation), how the consciousness level affects one’s image of God.

Examples of specific emotions within each main level are given in the following two tables. The first table gives examples of emotions that give energy, more energy the higher up in the table. The second table gives examples of emotions that cost energy, more the lower down in the table.

Emotions costing energy, draining more the farther down in the table:



* Different personality types handle emotions in different ways. _ Read about this in the document Elementity.pdf, chapter 1.4 The Elements and Emotions.