Do Thoughts Create Feelings?

Do thoughts create feelings? In order to understand the link between thoughts and emotions, it’s important to know what influences our thinking.

Note: this content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, or as a substitute for the medical advice of a physician.

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-- Do Thoughts Create Feelings? --

If you want to change your life, you’ve got to start with your thoughts… or so says every personal development meme ever.

When it comes to mind and emotion, the common assumption is that thoughts create feelings, which result in behavior.

But is that really true?

Do thoughts really create emotions that drive us to make decisions, either good or bad?

Well actually...no. Not exactly.

Because emotions and feelings are produced by your nervous system. And it turns out, you’ve got neurons all over your body.

What that means is that sensory data -- i.e. stuff you see, hear, touch, taste, and smell -- influences your emotions.

A lot of this sensory data bypasses the rational, thinking part of your brain entirely and goes directly to your emotional centers.

For every one neural pathway running from your rational brain to your emotional centers, there are two going the other way. What that means is that your conscious thinking brain is more narrating your experience than directing it -- finding reasons for why you feel and behave the way that you do.

This is such an important topic to discuss because there’s a lot of misinformation abounding about changing your thoughts to change your life.

Is it important to focus on positivity in your life? Of course.

However, if the sensory experience your body is having is one of threat and danger as a result of stored, unprocessed stress and trauma, then you’re essentially banging your head against the proverbial brick wall.

This is where people usually start to feel like something is wrong with THEM.

But there isn’t. I promise.

Your nervous system is working perfectly. We just need to intervene at a different level.

Watch this video for more about the link between thoughts, feelings and your physical felt sense.

#ThoughtsCreateFeelings #MindAndEmotion #HowEmotionsAreMade #SukieBaxter

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[itisdevonly]

As someone with complex PTSD, this is why I hate CBT and why after years and years of traditional therapy doing nothing to help, somatic therapy was the first to actually help me feel less anxious. And ironically (at least, ironic from the frame of reference of traditional assumptions about thoughts and feelings) somatic therapy was the first to actually help me stop mentally beating myself up. All that focus on changing my thinking, and I couldn't stop the self-hating thoughts, but switch my focus to the body, to creating a sense of safety, and the self-hating thoughts just melted away on their own.

[breathworkforprofessionals]

Through somatic breathwork I’ve learned that people don’t choose to get stuck in limiting patterns of thought. Rather, it’s a result of the nervous system or electric network of our being. When we begin to tone that and clear it, and are able to choose our focus and feel into good feeling places like our heart space, the thought patterns tend to follow and slow down, become more positive.

[Ellenweiss]

love what you are saying. I've always been so frustrated at the single minded focus on the thoughts as the basis for so much. There are so many levels of thought. And so many traumatized people. This is great. Thank you for your work!!!!

[User-dxeh]

Your videos are precious!
No psychologist or doctor will explain this! And this is the essence!

[artanddesignstudios]

I completely believe this is what is happening to me bc almost everyone in my life has been or eventually turned into a threat and I have very few good experiences for my senses to base anything upon. I've tried all of the positive thinking stuff and stayed positive through it all somehow, and that didn't get me anywhere and definitely didn't stop bad things from happening. I find it insulting when people make claims that thoughts can change everything while also insuating that's the reason good things aren't happening to you or you can't overcome it all. Thoughts alone are not enough. I mean maybe for someone who is just in the doldrums or a funk, sure, but for people with trauma and abuse no way. Thank you so so much for this video!

[Cubelixa]

That's exactly the reason why my neck and shoulders are so tense and hurt all the time and why I'm unable to relax fully. Growing up I never really felt safe. I am safe now. My brain knows that but my body hasn't gotten the memo. 🥺

[dongrindell]

I long ago heard that we do not feel our way into acting different but we act our way into feeling different.

[charleszacharybennett]

Thanks so much for your structural understanding of somatics and how changing our thoughts is not always as easy as one might think. I love that you are offering your knowledge as a resource. The more we can hear these kinds of things from intelligent resources, the more we can sink them into our conscious, and perhaps more importantly, our subconscious reality. So Grateful!

[triciarichman]

You are so awesome Sukie, and how amazing that you do this walking along - you are profound, amazing, sublime. Thank you.

[leanneenderink]

I cried watching this video, because my pattern and anxiety where explained. Since my burn-out I had panick attacks where I felt really out of balance (foggy and light headed). Now whenever I am to stressed my body picks up that signal and my brain starts to make me feel scared and unsafe, like a small panick attack. I used to rationalize it, but now I will do these exercises more often. I feel more relieved and calm already! Thanks.

[monicakochar]

Wow ..now I know why I got stuck in a place that was terrible but I couldn't step away.

[Kai-zerb]

Thanks for this! I always thought that it doesn´t make sense to just "think" differently when there are intense physical feelings of stress. You feel what you feel, and thinking can´t change this - at least not when they are at a certain level. And I really think that your approach makes sense.

[Sunshine-rkzl]

I've had some recent breakthroughs. Your videos are part of my trauma therapy homework. I can't even describe or explain the release of that hyper vigilant tension that has subsided. My body doesn't even react when someone knocks on my door😊

[donnap]

Hi Sukie! I've really been enjoying your videos. Especially the vagus nerve video. I do the exercises one, or two times a day -and it has really helped. I've been diagnosed with PTSD and the exercises have really helped me to create a sense of calm. My body seems to be in a constant state of "fight or flight". Any links to other helpful videos would be most appreciated! Thanks so much!

[bmore]

This is a breath of fresh air in the midst of people claiming thoughts->emotions is a simple one-way causality (as an irrefutable truth). I've been trying to get to the bottom of these claims in psychology literature, but I haven't been able to find a single study able to establish more than associations/correlations between thoughts (like positive/negative content of thought) and emotions; yet many therapists within the cognitive tradition still say it's a well established and understood causality. If that were true, it's a real mystery how the vast body of research supposedly showing this is so hard to find!

I think this primacy of deliberate thoughts is harmful, because it feeds a "pull yourself up by the bootstraps"-approach to mental health, and makes people less concerned for others since it's assumed that poor mental health is just due to people "choosing" to think the wrong thoughts, and not because of anything they are going through or have been through, just how they "choose" to interpret it. So, if therapy based of this cognitive primacy doesn't work, people are just left with notions that not only do they still suffer from poor mental health, but they are also to blame for it for choosing to be maladaptive.

[sarahbayla]

This is a really helpful explanation for understanding why cognitive-behavioral therapy approaches were so unhelpful for me, before I knew I had trauma!

[janicehick]

This is exactly what my therapist and I are working on in therapy! All of this information is so very validating!!!

[carrie]

Beautiful video! You look so cozy going for a walk on a snowy winter day.

[nicoleonfeels]

There’s so much to learn about the subconscious/unconscious mind.

[senselesscience]

Hello Sukie!! I'm a huge fan of your work. I've been watching so many of your videos. You are AWESOME!! I had a question: at around time code 6:10 you mention that "when we don't have the somatic markers of this emotional experience, it's impossible to make a rational choice". You also mention that we need safety and connection. People with trauma learned to connect and bond with people who were precisely the people who were not safe for them (for us). That's what's called a "Betrayal Bond" or a "Fantasy Bond". So I would add that when we don't have the somatic markers of healthy emotional experiences, it's impossible to make healthy emotional choices, which is why we tend to get stuck in repetition compulsion. 
A long prelude to ask you: what kind of exercises do you recommend for this type of situation? Given the fact that this is a sort of physical-relational and emotional conundrum. 
I hope my question wasn't too convoluted. I really would like your guidance with this. 
Thank you very much for all that you do for us, Beautiful Humans- I love that expression!! It feels as if an Angel was talking to us, and in many ways, you are one- or at least an Ambassador of the Angels on Earth 😇