Emotions
Skill and Abilities
For instance, Emotional intelligence, Emotional processing, and Emotional regulation. Commonly reported changes related with various relevant practices include:
- An ability to rapidly evoke desired emotions or moods
- Feeling generally much more ready to face life challenges including social confrontations
- Increase in one’s capacity for self-regulation
Structure
Structural characteristics of emotions include their temporal character, intensity, duration, diversity, stability vs lability, etc. These aspects of emotional life can be more or less deeply and lastingly transformed by EPEEs or Emergent Practices. For instance, it is not uncommon for meditation practitioners to report a very balanced, undramatic, or even subdued emotional life.[1] Conversely, advanced contemplatives often report experiencing the full range of human emotions in a visceral way involving a sort of unfiltering and hightened intensity, while simultaneously experiencing little resistance to these manifestations, leading to a shorter duration of the emotions and fuller "processing" of the information they contain.
Types
The following is a survey of emotions associated with various emergent modalities — including diverse contemplative practices, psychedelics, and more — as reported in Sandilands and Ingram (2024).[1] Note that the bracketted references below currently refer to a numbered table which can be found as supplemental material of this paper. Overall, the following can be seen as a rather extensive taxonomy of types of emotions commonly experienced in relation with Emergent Phenomena.
Positive
Acceptance (Ibogaine, [6])
I felt [...] acceptance of things (Ibogaine, [6])
Acceptance of death or removal of fear of death (N,N-DMT, [11])
Affection (Subjective Effect Index, [A])
Amazement (Concentration on visual object, [d]; N,N-DMT, [11]; Ibogaine, [6]), sometimes extreme (N,N-DMT, [11]), feelings of Astonishment (Coma/Accident NOS, [α])
Amusement (N,N-DMT, [11]; Salvia divinorum, inhaled, [15]) — Fun (N,N-DMT, [11]), Great amusement (Salvia divinorum, inhaled, [15])
Awe (Jhāna meditation, [t]; N,N-DMT, [11])
Balance or stability — An "incredible" sense of emotional Balance or stability (e.g., I could maintain calm in very troubling scenarios) (IME, [D])
Bliss (Jhāna meditation, [t]; Buddhist meditation NOS, [i]; N,N-DMT, [11]; Accident/Emergency NOS, [ε]), sometimes Intense (Buddhist meditation NOS, [i]), or Extreme (N,N-DMT, [11])
Belonging — Sense of belonging or being “home” (N,N-DMT, [11])
Comfort — Feeling more comfortable (Salvia divinorum, [18])
Connectedness — e.g. “Amazing sense of Connectedness that feels like it spread beyond oneself” (Spontaneous NOS, [δ])
Elation — Markedly increased (MDMA, ingested, [22])
Empathy (Subjective Effect Index, [A])
Enjoyment (N,N-DMT, [11])
Euphoria (Buddhist meditation NOS, [e]; Christian Contemplative Prayer, [w]; N,N-DMT, [11]; Subjective Effect Index, [A]), e.g.:
Gentle (Buddhist meditation NOS, [e])
Lasting for months (Buddhist meditation NOS, [e])
Extreme (N,N-DMT, [11])
Exhilaration or Ecstasy (Christian Contemplative Prayer, [w]; Transcendental meditation, [w]; Vedic Yoga, [w]; N,N-DMT, [11]) — e.g. religious ecstasy (Christian Contemplative Prayer, [w]), Ecstacy (Transcendental meditation, [w]), Yogic ecstacy (Vedic Yoga, [w]), Extreme exhilaration/ecstasy (N,N-DMT, [11])
Familiarity — A sense of familiarity (with the experience) (N,N-DMT, [11])
Gratitude — Extreme sense of Gratitude (N,N-DMT, [11])
Happiness (Jhāna meditation, [t]; NOS Buddhist practice, [w]; NOS Christian practice, [w]; Meditation NOS, [k]; N,N-DMT, [11]; 2C-B, Ingested, [14]), sometimes Profound (NOS Buddhist practice, [w]; NOS Christian practice, [w]) or Extreme (N,N-DMT, [11]), Feeling significantly happier (2C-B, Ingested, [14])
Sense of Intimacy (Anthroposophic Meditation, [u])
Joy (Anthroposophic Meditation, [u]; NOS Buddhist practice, [w]; NOS Christian practice, [w]; N,N-DMT, [11]; Coma/Accident NOS, [α])
Perceived as one's own (Anthroposophic Meditation, [u])
Perceived as that of another being (Anthroposophic Meditation, [u])
Extreme (N,N-DMT, [11])
Profound (NOS Buddhist practice, [w]; NOS Christian practice, [w])
Liberation or Freedom — Sense of Liberation or opening (N,N-DMT, [11])
Love (NOS Christian practice, [w]; N,N-DMT, [11]; MDMA, ingested, [22]; Spontaneous NOS, [δ]) — unconditionalfeelings of love (NOS Christian practice, [w]); intense feelings of love (N,N-DMT, [11]); feeling much more loving(MDMA, ingested, [22]); pervasive — e.g. "Every breath was a loving experience - it was like breathing in love" (Spontaneous NOS, [δ]) or "like a world-encompassing experience of love" (Spontaneous NOS, [δ])
Sense of receiving Nourishment (Anthroposophic Meditation, [u])
Peace, Tranquility and Calm (Anthroposophic Meditation, [u]; Buddhist meditation NOS, [i]; Transcendental meditation, [d]; Meditation NOS, [k]; Jhāna meditation, [t]; Esketamine, [5]; N,N-DMT, [11]; Salvia divinorum, [18]; Coma/Accident NOS, [α]; Accident/Emergency NOS, [ε]; Subjective Effect Index, [A])
Spontaneous (Anthroposophic Meditation, [u])
As a result of intentional cultivation (Anthroposophic Meditation, [u])
Deep peace leading to absence of desires and detachment (Anthroposophic Meditation, [u])
Feeling like everything is fine (Buddhist meditation NOS, [i])
Pervasive sense of calm (Transcendental meditation, [d])
Deep relaxed or calming states (Meditation NOS, [k])
Tranquility (Jhāna meditation, [t])
Extreme Peacefulness (N,N-DMT, [11])
Extreme calm (N,N-DMT, [11])
Feeling calmer (Salvia divinorum, [18])
Peace (Esketamine, [5])
Feeling imperturbable (Buddhist meditation NOS, [i])
Evenness (Buddhist meditation NOS, [i])
Overwhelming feelings of peacefulness (Coma/Accident NOS, [α]; Accident/Emergency NOS, [ε])
Calmness in the face of danger (Accident/Emergency NOS, [ε])
Lack of anxiety about danger (Accident/Emergency NOS, [ε])
Detachment (Accident/Emergency NOS, [ε])
Anxiety suppression (Subjective Effect Index, [A])
Positive affect NOS (Buddhist meditation NOS, [p])
Pride (N,N-DMT, [11])
Reassurance — Extreme (N,N-DMT, [11])
Rejuvenation — Sense of Being reborn (N,N-DMT, [11])
Relaxation (Esketamine, [5])
Relief — Extreme (N,N-DMT, [11])
Surprise — e.g. by how calm one is in the face of danger (Accident/Emergency NOS, [ε]) or by how much detail one is able to take in (Accident/Emergency NOS, [ε])
Sense of Warmth (N,N-DMT, [11])
Wellbeing (N,N-DMT, [11]; Coma/Accident NOS, [α]; Accident/Emergency NOS, [ε]; Spontaneous NOS, [δ]) — Sense of healing or Wellbeing (N,N-DMT, [11])
Wonder (Anthroposophic Meditation, [u]; Jhāna meditation, [t]; N,N-DMT, [11]; Subjective Effect Index, [A])
Negative
Agitation or restlessness (Buddhist meditation NOS, [p]; [i]; Esketamine, [5]; IME, [D])
Agitation (Buddhist meditation NOS, [p])
Restlessness (Buddhist meditation NOS, [i]; Esketamine, [5])
Extreme agitation or irritable mood (IME, [D])
Alienation, Disconnection, Isolation or Loneliness (Meditation NOS, [g]; Classical Psychedelics in lifetime users, [19]; Salvia divinorum, inhaled, [15]; Esketamine, [5]; Ayahuasca, [3]; Psilocybin, [2]; Spontaneous NOS, [δ])
Feelings of isolation (due to not being able to feel the presence of the experimenter in the room) (Salvia divinorum, inhaled, [15])
Feeling disconnected or alone (Ayahuasca, [3])
Loneliness (Meditation NOS, [g])
Feeling distant or cut off from other people (Classical Psychedelics in lifetime users, [19])
Feeling isolated from everyone (Psilocybin, [2])
Feeling disconnected or isolated from everything (Classical Psychedelics in classic users, [19]; Psilocybin, [2])
Anger, aggression or rage (Buddhist meditation NOS, [p]; Meditation NOS, [g]; Psilocybin, ingested, [14]; Psilocybin, [2])
Significantly increased anger (Psilocybin, ingested, [14]) Experience of antagonism toward people around oneself (Psilocybin, [2])
Despair (N,N-DMT, [11]; Psilocybin, [2])
Extreme hopelessness (N,N-DMT, [11]; Psilocybin, [2])
Disbelief — Extreme disbelief (N,N-DMT, [11])
Disgust (Anthroposophic Meditation, [u])
Doubt (Buddhist meditation NOS, [i])
Fear, dread, worry, anxiety, panic, or terror (Meditation NOS, [g]; Anthroposophic Meditation, [u]; Meditation NOS, [v]; Concentration on visual object, [d]; Buddhist meditation NOS, [p], [i]; Meditation NOS, [k]; Hindu Meditation NOS, [m]; Classical Psychedelics in lifetime users, [19]; N,N-DMT, [11]; Ibogaine, [6]; Esketamine, [5]; MDMA, serotonergic psychedelics, [4]; Psilocybin, [2])
Anxiety or anxiousness (Meditation NOS, [g]; Hindu Meditation NOS, [m]; MDMA, serotonergic psychedelics, [4]; Esketamine, [5]; Psilocybin, [2]; Classical Psychedelics in lifetime users, [19]; Epileptic Seizure, [β]; Subjective Effect Index, [A]))
Pananxiety (Hindu Meditation NOS, [m])
Intense anxieties (Hindu Meditation NOS, [m])
Feeling anxious (Epileptic Seizure, [β])
Feeling apprehensive (Epileptic Seizure, [β])
Fear (Concentration on visual object, [d]; Anthroposophic Meditation, [u]; Meditation NOS, [k]; Meditation NOS, [g]; Psilocybin, [2]; Ibogaine, [6]; Spontaneous NOS, [δ]; Epileptic Seizure, [β]; Subjective Effect Index, [A])
Strong fear reaction to alteration of experience which progressively dissipates as activity is continued (Concentration on visual object, [d])
Fear at sense of self disappearing (Anthroposophic Meditation, [u])
Great existential fear (Anthroposophic Meditation, [u])
Fear of losing one's mind or going insane (Psilocybin, [2])
Fear that the state one is in will last forever (Psilocybin, [2])
Salient fear of or disturbance by seemingly non-threatening phenomena
Disturbing "sounds of movement" and feeling of being very scared (Meditation NOS, [k])
Fear NOS (Meditation NOS, [g]), Some fear (Ibogaine, [6])
Fear of death (Spontaneous NOS, [δ])
Feeling scared (Epileptic Seizure, [β])
Fear of losing control (Subjective Effect Index, [A])
Panic (Meditation NOS, [g]; Psilocybin, [2])
Panic Attacks/Panic (Meditation NOS, [g]) Panic (Psilocybin, [2])
Terror (Meditation NOS; N,N-DMT, [11]; Ibogaine, [6])
Terror (Meditation NOS, [g])
Extreme terror (N,N-DMT, [11]
Feeling terrified (Ibogaine, [6])
Worry — Extreme worry (N,N-DMT, [11])
Feelings of impending doom (Subjective Effect Index, [A])
Grief (Psilocybin, [2])
Guilt — Feelings of Guilt (Hindu Meditation NOS, [m])
Irritability (Buddhist meditation NOS, [p]; [i]; Classical Psychedelics in lifetime users, [19]; Subjective Effect Index, [A])
“Bothered by little things” (Classical Psychedelics in lifetime users, [19])
Nervousness (Meditation NOS, [g])
Overwhelm (Esketamine, [5])
Paranoia (Buddhist meditation NOS, [p]; [i]; Psilocybin, [2]; Epileptic Seizure, [β])
Having the feeling that people are plotting against one (Psilocybin, [2])
Regret — Extreme Regret (N,N-DMT, [11])
Sadness, depression, dysphoria, low mood (Buddhist meditation NOS, [p]; Anthroposophic Meditation, [u]; Meditation NOS, [g]; Psilocybin, ingested, [14]; late MDMA, [4]; Psilocybin, [2]; Epileptic Seizure, [β]; Subjective Effect Index, [A])
Emotional suffering NOS (Psilocybin, [2])
Sadness (Psilocybin, [2]; Epileptic Seizure, [β])
Feeling like crying (Psilocybin, [2])
Low mood NOS (late MDMA, [4])
Increased feelings of depression (Psilocybin, ingested, [14])
Adverse emotional and mental states NOS (Meditation NOS, [g])
Dysphoria (Subjective Effect Index, [A])
Self-conscious emotions (Buddhist meditation NOS, [p])
Shock — Extreme Shock (N,N-DMT, [11])
Significantly increased levels across all negative moods (Psilocybin, ingested, [14])
Stress (Esketamine, [5]; Spontaneous NOS, [δ]) — sometimes Extreme (because of sensory overload) (Spontaneous NOS, [δ])
Suicidality (Buddhist meditation NOS, [p]; MDMA for PTSD [16]; N,N-DMT, [11])
Increased feelings of suicidality (MDMA for PTSD, [16])
Tension (Esketamine, [5]; Psilocybin, ingested, [14]; 2C-B, Ingested, [14])
Significantly increased tension (Psilocybin, ingested, [14]; 2C-B, Ingested, [14])
Feeling Threatened or Pursued (Epileptic Seizure, [β])
Feeling Trapped, or claustrophobia (N,N-DMT, [11])
Unease (Esketamine, [5]; general uneasiness, IME, [D])
Neutral
Affective flattening or emotional detachment (Buddhist meditation NOS, [p])
Subdued emotions
Didn't feel particularly wonderful (Transcendental meditation, [d])
Other
Emotional disconnection (Meditation NOS, [g])
Emotion intensification (Subjective Effect Index, [A])
Emotion suppression (Subjective Effect Index, [A])
Mood swings, or Emotional lability (Psilocybin, ingested, [14]; Meditation NOS, [g]; Buddhist meditation NOS, [p]; Mindfulness, [a]; Meditation [various], [l]; Hindu Meditation NOS, [m])
Paradoxical or mixed emotions (Salvia divinorum, inhaled, [15]; Spontaneous NOS, [δ]; Subjective Effect Index, [A]) — e.g. a combination of being ‘scared out of one's wits’ with lots of excitement (Spontaneous NOS, [δ])