08/03/2026
Scientists have discovered that emotions are not only felt in the mind but also in different parts of the body. A team of researchers from Aalto University in Finland studied how people physically experience emotions and created maps showing where different feelings appear in the body.
The study was led by Lauri Nummenmaa, along with researchers Enrico Glerean, Riitta Hari, and Jari Hietanen. It was published in the journal *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences* in 2013 and included 701 participants from Finland, Sweden, and Taiwan.
During the research, participants were shown emotional words, stories, movies, and facial expressions designed to create different feelings. They were then asked to color body images to show where they felt sensations becoming stronger or weaker. Researchers combined the answers to create body maps for 14 different emotions.
The results showed interesting patterns. Happiness was felt throughout almost the entire body, while emotions like anger and fear were strongly connected to the chest, arms, and head — areas linked to action and physical response. Sadness was found to reduce sensations in the arms and legs, which researchers connected to the feeling of heaviness often linked with sadness.
The researchers also found that people from different cultures showed similar body reactions to emotions. Participants from Finland, Sweden, and Taiwan had matching emotional body maps, suggesting these reactions may come from shared biology rather than only language or culture.
Lead researcher Lauri Nummenmaa explained, "Emotions adjust not only our mental, but also our bodily states... Awareness of the corresponding bodily changes may subsequently trigger the conscious emotional sensations, such as the feeling of happiness."
The study showed that emotions can create real physical changes throughout the body.
