The Science of Emotions: Understanding Psychological Bias

 

The human brain, a marvel of biological engineering, is a metabolic powerhouse. Although it constitutes a mere 2% of our body weight, it consumes nearly 20% of its energy. This energy is dedicated to information processing, constantly resetting to a resting state characterized by low-frequency brain activations. Like the quiet hum of an engine running in the background, the resting state is the brain's "idle mode," a stable, self-referential baseline that underpins our sense of identity and belief systems. But what maintains this equilibrium? The answer lies in emotional feedback. Far from being abstract or ephemeral, emotions are dynamic forces embedded in our autonomic and motivational networks. Like a thermostat adjusting a room's temperature, emotions continually assess our physical, cultural, and social needs by setting our external environment against the backdrop of our memories.

Emotions ripple through every system of our body. They influence our hormonal pathways, triggering physical responses such as an increased heart rate, sweating, and muscle tension. These physiological changes, in turn, feed back into our emotional and mental regulation, continuously modulating our cognitive state. This intricate interplay makes categorizing emotions inherently challenging. Nevertheless, their tone frequencies and energy signatures allow for a broad classification into positive and negative states—a duality reminiscent of the bipolar spin in fermions—a concept in quantum physics. 

Psychological Spin: A Bridge to Quantum Mechanics 

Fermions are particles with half-integer spins, spinning in two directions—forming an "up" or "down" state. These opposing states give rise to attraction or repulsion between particles, preventing identical fermions from occupying the same quantum state. The repulsion is the essence of the Pauli exclusion principle and explains why matter cannot be infinitely compressed; it's the reason stars shine and atoms retain structure. This model of spin dynamics transcends the atomic scale, providing a metaphorical framework for analyzing social interactions. Individual emotions often come down to for or against attitudes, similar to binary spin states. As strangers crowd in an elevator, their discomfort is a visceral need for personal space mirroring fermionic repulsion. The competitive drive in social situations or the need to assert personal space mirrors the repulsive forces observed in atomic interactions, giving rise to society's complex, hierarchical structures.

Emotional bipolarity led to the concept of psychological spin, a term that captures our inherent disposition—for or against—every experience we encounter. Up psychological spin, associated with learning, acceptance, or contentment, enhances neural complexity and fosters adaptability. It encourages the formation of novel connections, promoting creative thinking, persistence, and resilience. Conversely, down psychological spin, often linked to stressful states like fear or frustration, narrows cognitive flexibility, leading to rigid or repetitive thought patterns that reduce patience and hinder problem-solving. Psychological spin can have long-term consequences, producing a recall bias by bringing forth memories that match our mood.

The concept of the spinor, a fascinating outcome of spin, takes this analogy further. Unlike ordinary objects, a spinor undergoes a peculiar sign change upon completing a full rotation. This property mirrors the way our emotional experiences can completely reverse their meaning in a different context. For example, a gentle caress from a loved one can evoke warmth and security. At the same time, in the context of past trauma, it triggers fear or disgust. Similarly, a compliment might be embraced as a genuine affirmation in one setting but interpreted as cynical or insincere in another. These emotional reversals highlight the brain's remarkable capacity to reinterpret and reverse its attitude—much like the transformation of a spinor when subjected to a complete rotational cycle.

                     

Classical (top) and quantum (bottom) turns

Conclusion 

Viewing emotions through the lens of physics offers a robust framework for understanding the chaotic interplay of our internal states. Much like a gyroscope senses tilt, emotions are vital indicators of bodily and psychological imbalances, guiding the brain as it adapts to a constantly changing environment. The psychological spin offers a more nuanced understanding of our emotional lives and deepens our appreciation for the dynamic nature of human cognition. It opens up innovative avenues for addressing mental health challenges and developing technologies that interface directly with our cognitive processes.

The book Emotional Reasoning: Insight into the Conscious Experience is published on August 30, 2024. 

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Copyright © 2025 by Eva Deli

Emotional intelligence can predict the finish time of long-distance runners

Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, and defuse conflict. It ensures emotional stability, which is an important character trait for social relationships, career success, and overall well-being. Because genuine people learn and create meaning from every interaction, they can handle criticism and challenges. 

Just as energy flows from warmer to colder matter, more stable (less irritable), confident people tend to gather wisdom and understanding from every experience. It leads to the ability to engage with and relate to others and situations through trust, and to find integrated solutions. Thus, the lack of impulsivity and emotional intelligence goes a long way toward individual success and social cooperation. Having no regrets is an open mind that dares to attract help and the humbleness to accept it. These flexible people adapt to opportunities with ease, even in the boardroom or on the trading floor (traders with a positive attitude and trust tend to earn more). Now, scientists have added one more activity that benefits from a well-balanced personality. 

Emotional intelligence can predict the finish time of long-distance runners. In endurance tests, mentally stable people remain emotionally balanced when the going is difficult. A recent paper from the University of Padova explored the links between Emotional intelligence and half-marathon performance. The research found that people with higher marks on this quality ran faster. Long-distance runners with high emotional intelligence handle pain better, blunt the psychological toll of fatigue, and regulate negative emotion through a grueling event. This trait, rather than diet, fitness, coaching, or even training volume or racing history, is the best predictor of finish times in long-distance running. 

Read the whole article in 'The Guardian'

                

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Copyright © 2019 by Eva Deli

Emotion, an evolutionary survival tool

Four Boys at Lake Tanganyika by Martin Munkacsi

In all appearances, the mind rules over the body, but in reality, an elaborate regulation of behavior is governed by a complex interplay of body and mind, coordinated by emotions. From the food we choose, the position we sit in, our constant body temperature, our desires, and complaints are all controlled by emotions.

Emotional actions gradually lose their emotional charge and become automatic. For example, when we first learned to walk, it started out as an emotionally motivated struggle to stay upright, but gradually it became automatic. The emotional and automatic mental operation works in such seamless unison that we have the perfect illusion of having full control. This way, emotions have an immense role in our conscious actions, but in every aspect of our lives, emotional intelligence is the major contributor to intellectual abilities. "People who lack emotions because of brain injuries often have difficulty making decisions at all. ...Emotions are part of the process of homeostasis, by which the body maintains its stability," says neuroscientist Damasio.

Emotional states feel permanent, but their experience evaporates when they depart. This fact has a significant role in motivation. Because pain and suffering are so quickly forgotten, we can find new strength to go on with life, and through the feeling of permanence, emotions do propel actions. Emotions are permanent phenomena of life, and their intensity can only change through interaction. They may disappear from conscious awareness, but negative emotions keep manipulating the mental state from the background leading to stress, corrupting mental abilities for an extended time, until their emotional charge is transferred through interactions.

So the mind-body relationship depends on the state of the body (and by extension, our social standing) being reflected through the sensory system. We cannot control our emotions. However, emotions can be mastered. Sign up for my mailing list to never miss a post. 

Copyright © 2017 by Eva Deli