In a thought-provoking discussion, Lisa Feldman Barrett, a leading psychologist, and John Dunne, a contemplative scholar, challenge the Western notion that emotions should be distrusted. They explore how emotions are constructed from personal experiences, argue for the integration of feelings and rational thought, and highlight the importance of emotional intelligence. The duo discusses the concept of a 'body budget' for managing well-being, emphasizing mindfulness and awareness as tools for navigating life’s complexities.
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insights INSIGHT
Emotions: Constructed, Not Pre-wired
Emotions are not pre-wired responses triggered by external stimuli.
They are constructed by the brain, interpreting sensory data through past experiences.
question_answer ANECDOTE
The Uncle's Chew: Constructing Anger
Dan Harris gives an example of his uncle chewing loudly, causing an unpleasant bodily response.
His brain interprets these sensations as anger, demonstrating how emotions are constructed.
insights INSIGHT
Buddhist Perspective: Emotions as Framing
In Buddhism, emotions are not a distinct category but rather how we experience sensations.
These experiences are framed by our desires and aversions.
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In this book, Lisa Feldman Barrett demystifies the brain through seven short essays and a brief story on its evolution. She explains where brains came from, their structure, and how they function in tandem with other brains. The book dispels myths such as the 'lizard brain' and the battle between thoughts and emotions or nature and nurture. Barrett highlights the brain's primary role in controlling the body, discusses brain development, and emphasizes the social and cultural aspects of cognition and consciousness.
How Emotions Are Made
The Secret Life of the Brain
Lisa Feldman Barrett
In this book, Lisa Feldman Barrett presents a new neuroscientific explanation of emotions, overturning the widely held belief that emotions are automatic, universal, and hardwired in different brain regions. Instead, she argues that emotions are constructed in the moment through a unique interplay of brain, body, and culture. Barrett's theory, known as the 'Theory of Constructed Emotions,' suggests that emotions are highly individualized and vary by culture. The book explores how this new understanding has significant implications for fields such as psychology, medicine, law, parenting, and national security. Barrett uses clear, readable prose and practical examples to make her complex theories accessible to a broad audience.
Circe
Madeline Miller
In this novel, Madeline Miller reimagines the life of Circe, the daughter of the Titan sun god Helios and the nymph Perse. Circe, who is neither as powerful as her father nor as alluring as her mother, finds her own path through the discovery of witchcraft. After being banished to the island of Aiaia by Zeus, Circe hones her magical abilities and encounters various figures from Greek mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus, Icarus, Medea, and Odysseus. The story explores themes of identity, love, loss, and female strength in a patriarchal world. Circe's journey is marked by her transformation from an outcast to a powerful goddess who must choose between her divine heritage and her love for mortals.
A common idea in the west is that our feelings or emotions should be viewed with suspicion, superseded or overridden by rational thought, and that your mind is a battleground between emotions and rationality. But on the show today, guests Lisa Feldman Barrett and John Dunne are going to offer a very compelling science backed argument that disputes the notion that thinking and feeling are distinct. Furthermore, they argue that understanding how emotions are actually made can be a life or death matter.
Lisa Feldman Barrett is a University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University with appointments at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Barrett is among the top 1% most-cited scientists, having published over 270 peer-reviewed scientific papers. She has written several books, including How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain, and Seven And A Half Lessons About The Brain. Her TED talk has been viewed more than 6.5 million times.
John Dunne holds the Distinguished Chair in Contemplative Humanities at the Center for Healthy Minds of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His work focuses on Buddhist philosophy and contemplative practice, especially in dialog with Cognitive Science and Psychology. He earned his PhD from Harvard.
This is part two in a series we’re calling The Art and Science of Keeping Your Sh*t Together. In each episode we bring together a meditative adept or Buddhist scholar and a respected scientist. The idea is to give you the best of both worlds to arm you with both modern and ancient tools for regulating your emotions.
In this episode we talk about:
Lisa’s scientific definition of emotions
John’s Buddhist contention that emotions, as a category, do not exist in Buddhism
The difference between suffering and discomfort
What we can do to master our emotions including understanding what Lisa terms as our “body budget”
Becoming more emotionally intelligent
Mastering our feelings in the moment
Whether or not pain is an emotion and how it works
10% Happier with Dan Harris 
