The right emotion involves the body’s muscles and nerves…The left emotion, however, is controlled by information from the heart…Dr. Carl Stevens (Divine Resources for Healing p.9)This (two emotions) concept originates a Bible phenomena where emotions are referred to as “bowels,” “reins”, and “kidneys”; metonyms all.
Early psychology recognized, and eastern medicine still distinguishes, emotions attached to and represented by various body organs.
W. James as referenced from “Baker’s Encyclopedia of Psychology p.353” stated that “emotions are reflexes” They arise as a result of stimuli that have symbolic meaning to the individual. Since emotions are compound reflexes, they normally possess the properties of all reflexes: they can be
- facilitated (made to flow easier) or
- occluded (their flow is cut).
- They sum-mate (peak out),
- are graded in intensity, and
- are subject to fatigue.”
More recent psychology has explored also the cognitive aspect of emotional stimulation. Going along with W. James’ theory, thoughts and words also are symbols which produce meaning. Consequently they can be an invigorating source for emotions and this kindles the idea that all thoughts and ideas have their own emotion attached.
Pushing it deeper, almost always memories conjure up feelings, and this connection brings no difficulty for us. In contrast we observe; certain feelings also summon up memories. The two seem unified.
My home town, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, distinguishes itself by its smell, and I don’t mean that negatively. When I visit there, many memories well up. It relates to seeing things again, but also feeling them with sense and sentiment. For instance when I smell Pittsburgh I am time-traveled into a former life; a 5 o’clock supper with potatoes mashed or scalloped, vegetables buttered, and animal protein variegated by sort and preparation. Aromas of Halushki, Gowumpki, and Pierogi emerge and are gotten a whiff of. Special treats of dessert fill the senses; Jell-O and whipped cream, pineapple upside-down cake, cut-out cookies, blackberry pie.
Unfortunately, many of the negative events of my teen and young adult times also re-emerge. These take me on an emotional journey downward. This shows our wiring as humans, but what of this stuff? The same dreadful feelings, and regret, and guilt and it’s like I was 16 years old again. At once I am angry, and hating the face of living, and fearing progress.
Dr. Smith of our last post tied emotions to the wounding process also. In fact he referred to
- emotional pain,
- memory,
- lies
as three ingredients of wounds.
Lies? Yes, how much of the past is really true; how much of it exists a contrived concept plaguing our present and future?
How then does emotional healing occur? According to our model we must say that lies change when corrected by truth, memories erase or at least fade to the periphery, but what of the emotions?
The next chapter in this book tells the story of Jesus the Christ affecting the healing work in historical finality. What was that work? He shed His blood and died.
He took on the identity of the whole human race as He carried out His Father’s will. Yes, when Christ died, we died. This is God’s solution for mankind, to bring about our death, but spare us the trauma by dying for us in proxy, representing, but also replacing us.
In simplicity this dying removes the effects of lies, removes the past, and crucifies my bodily and mentally sourced emotions. Yes, it removes the wound with one fatal sweep. Burial follows and places all of the above out of sight forever.
Jesus rose from the dead as our representative too, and with Him the brand spanking new man. So, here emerges the other emotion, also a strain of new, and this one finds roots and spring in a believing man’s new heart of Ezekiel 36:26. When this new heart fills with Bible truth, Spirit and Word motivate emotion and the Bible teaches that out of the belly will flow rivers of living water, John 7:38 The new emotions love and respond to truth. love ya
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