How do emotions work? Give me a basic idea of how the mind/brain/emotions operate

in the human animal?

Emotions are physical sensations: tears in the eyes, stomach clenching, jaw getting tense, voice getting shrill.

These can be caused by thoughts. For example, if you think that your spouse is cheating on you, you might experience several physical emotions.

And, they can be caused by sensing (smelling, hearing, seeing).

Thoughts can produce emotions, and emotions can produce thoughts, e.g., "I feel anxious, what am I anxious about? Maybe I'm anxious about ..." and you make up a reason for your anxiety.

But, thoughts are easier to control. You can use logic to change your thoughts.

"I failed the test, I'm a loser, and now I feel so sad and rejected." This THOUGHT can be changed to: "I did poorly on the test. I am disappointed, but maybe I can figure out what the problem is and do better. Maybe I need a tutor. Or, maybe I need to take an easier class first." Notice, with these RATIONAL THOUGHTS, the emotions (of sadness and rejection) don't come up.

Emotions are ones reactions to other peoples interaction with them. Feelings of anger, despair, happiness, or nothing at all. One cannot turn their emotions on and off, they are subconscious and not controllable.

To be really human you have to have emotions, otherwise you would be very unfeeling, deadpan, and a misery to be with. I cannot answer for the animal kingdom.

givemestrength

our hipocampus creates chemicals
that react with the cells
and depending on the circumstances
it creates our emotional makeup
over a period of time.