The path of feelings

In the article “Our emotions – a life of their own” we explored how our emotions seize us, and how we might move beyond their grip.

This leads us to consider how we experience and hold the energy of feelings in comparison to emotions. Feelings are sometimes described as “higher emotions”, however I think it is important to recognize that they are a completely different type of energy. The kind of feelings I am referring to are sometimes referred to as “true feelings”, which is also misleading. Understanding this is further confused by the fact that we do indeed “feel” both emotions and feelings. It would likely be useful to change the terminology, but first we need to work with what is in use.

Feelings and emotions are distinct and we need to develop the capacity to discern within ourselves whether we are experiencing emotions or feelings. Feelings hold energy that is of greater coherence and a more life affirming link to creation. Deep joy, appreciation, true compassion, and connection are examples of feelings. It might be useful to refer to them as feeling-states.

Emotions are a stimulus / response to beliefs (see “Our emotions – a life of their own) that are induced and maintained by brain chemicals, and although emotions can be sustained for some time and reinforced by thought processes, they need a constant re-supply of the brain chemicals that generate them.

Feeling-states on the other hand are generated within us from our deep, coherent center and can be much stronger and longer-lived than emotions. These feeling-states are magnetic fields that are generated from our heart center (the strongest field generator we have). Feeling-states can also be “tuned” vibrationally and amplified using energetic techniques. With the development of mastery, feeling-states can be held throughout difficult and challenging life circumstances. And as a result, are a significant tool in creating our personal reality.

The challenge then is to develop discernment between emotions and feeling-states, and move towards “generating” feeling-states, while developing mastery regarding emotions.

How do we tell them apart?

Emotions arise from within us and run internally, they have the essential quality that they are felt within our physical and psychological selves.

Feeling-states, on the other hand, since they are generated from our heart field, have the quality of enfolding us. We are “held” in our “feelings”. We know they are bigger than we are. They encompass us.

As our mastery develops we become less attached to our emotions, and more able to generate feeling-states that reflect our inner coherence, and further empower our development.