Emotion and affect

 An individual's emotion (thought or feeling) continues as long as he/she is alive (whether awake or asleep). The route of neural transmissions in the emotional brain, which connects the basal ganglia, thalamus, prefrontal area, and other regions, forms a kind of closed cycle (although it has input and output routes among the perception system, thinking system, and motor system), and the individual's emotion circulates within this closed cycle. Emotion can be noticed by consciousness or only circulates through the neural cycle in the emotional brain without being noticed by consciousness. In other words, when a certain emotion is noticed by consciousness, it becomes affect (affect experience), while it remains unconscious or preconscious emotion when it is not noticed by consciousness. Thus, whether it becomes affect or not depends on the state is conscious. The nature and sort of affect and the nature and sort of emotion which is the origin of the affect depend on adding cognitive interpretation (understanding by consciousness) or recognitory interpretation (understanding by consciousness and understanding by language) to emotion. However, emotion differs from affect only in whether the state is conscious or not.

                                       The structure and function of emotion

Perceptual cognition and emotional cognition

 When a certain stimulus enters the brain via the perception system from the outside world, it undergoes information processing through the intervention of the temporal lobe, parietal lobe, and frontal lobe. Similarly, emotion receives information processing through input and output of the neural cycle in the emotional brain (mentioned above). In any case, information derived from perception and information derived from emotion either become conscious or remain preconscious or unconscious. This depends only on the circumstances of consciousness.

 What are the circumstances of consciousness? Consciousness works as "a navigator that goes through a detour to choose pleasure and displeasure" (mentioned clearly in The Integration Theory of Psychoanalysis in the Next Generation). When certain information derived from perception forms perceptual cognition (the understanding of perception), the function of consciusness is required. In addition, when certain information derived from emotion forms emotional cognition (the understanding of emotion), the function of consciousness is required. These circumstances mean that both information derived from perception and information derived from emotion are always forced to choose pleasure and displeasure. Moreover, after being noticed by consciousness, information derived from perception is subject to perceptual cognition (perceptual understanding) and information derived from emotion is subject to emotional cognition (emotional understanding).

                                       The structure and function of emotion

Cognitive interpretation and recognitory interpretation

 Any psychological phenomenon requires "a navigator that goes through a detour to choose pleasure and displeasure" to receive a cognitive interpretation. Information derived from emotion has already entered and circulated through the neural cycle in the emotional brain. When information derived from perception is processed under the function of consciousness, materials making choices possible should enter the neural cycle in the emotional brain and be converted into either pleasure or displeasure, which is characteristic nature of emotion. For example, there is a common reality: I am using a laptop on a desk. Even with the perceptual cognition of this common reality, some information derived from perception is formed according to the function of consciousness that "goes through a detour to choose pleasure and displeasure." (If I feel displeasure in the setting in which I use a laptop on a desk, I act to wipe out this displeasure and it is difficult for me to achieve my purpose. Therefore, even if this setting is not quite comfortable for me, it should not be such as to make me feel displeasure.)

 After that, the information given cognitive interpretation diverges to two processes: One is the process of perceptual cognition that is formed through consciousness, and the other is the process from emotional cognition to emotional recognition. These two processes are important for stabilizing perception and emotion as a psychological phenomenon. On the one hand, the information derived from perception becomes stable forming perceptual cognition through its arrangement as if forming emotional cognition. On the other hand, emotional cognition shifts to emotional recognition and becomes stable. Perceptual cognition has already slipped away from emotional cognition and distinguishes various phenomena in areas other than the emotion system, mainly physical reality. (It is a core of the formation of "the emotion exclusion type of self-consciousness," which is mentioned in the series of the Integration Theory of Psychoanalysis, and also constitutes the core of "emotion potential language" as cognitive language.) In contrast, the shift from emotional cognition to emotional recognition does not mean a shift from the emotion system to areas other than the emotion system. In other words, both emotional cognition and emotional recofnition stay in the emotion system and form various paths of neural transmission entangled with each other. However, it cannot be judged only by emotional cognition whether the information on a certain emotion, that is, subjective experience (a psychological phenomenon), corresponds to physical reality. When one hears another's voice, that fact alone does not allow us to judge whether the voice uttered the sound in physical reality or is only part of one's own psychological reality. Therefore, in order to distinguish them, that is, to have reality-testing ability or insight into disease, emotional recognition is required.

                                       The structure and function of emotion

Directions in emotion research (required for brain science)

 I recognize emotional cognition as being formed prior to perceptual cognition: After emotional cognition is formed, perceptual cognition and emotional recognition are formed. However, although emotional cognition is formed prior to perceptual cognition, both are equal in their level of information processing by consciousness. In contrast, emotional cognition and emotional recognition are at different levels: (preceding) information processing by consciousness and (subsequent) information processing by language. 

 How are emotional and perceptual cognition equal? They are equal in the sense that the function of consciousness is involved in their formation. Consciousness is generated through the choice of pleasure and displeasure in emotion. Similar to the formation of emotional cognition, perceptual cognition is formed through the insertion of perceptual information between emotion and consciousness. How does this operate concretely? For example, regarding a trivial choice between preferences: One likes the color white better than black, or prefers a square to a triangle, and (even if only temporarily) the preference is made, adding "pleasure and displeasure." When perceptual cognition is formed through emotional cognition, a vestige of emotional cognition remains for a while. (That is, perceptual cognition also takes on a faint "pleasure and displeasure" evaluation for a while.)

 When emotional recognition is added to emotional cognition, it is impossible to do only through the function of consciousness, and the function of language is required. In principle, regarding cognition, the understanding of perception and the understanding of emition can be obtained through consciousness. When perception becomes perceptual cognition by obtaining cognition, a higher level is not (primarily) required. When one can understand one's environment and situation, one will not frequently meet life-or-death situations. However, even if emotion obtains emotional cognition by getting cognition, that alone cannot ensure a normal (healthy) mind. Therefore, emotional recognition by language is required. Recognition is the understanding of understanding accompanied by mutual understanding; the other understands one's understanding or one understands the other's understanding. Recognition does not form a world of (absolute) imagination but physiological phenomena with established reality testing.

 Thus, the formation of cognition and recognition relates to the functions of consciousness and language. In other words, because cognitive interpretation is a function of consciousness, it is necessary to break down the generating mechanism of consciousness. Moreover, because recognitory interpretation is a function of language, it is necessary to break down the generating mechanism of language. I have already sufficiently mentioned these in the area of psychoanalysis. Therefore, only limited issues of brain science remain.

                                        The structure and function of emotion 

Considerations of the structure and function of emotion

 Research on emotion is one of the most important points in the completion of the Integration Theory of Psychoanalysis. It is represented by the emotion control theory (which has the emotional control system with 7 kinds and 14 emotional factors, the personality structure theory, and the methodology of psychoanalytic radical treatment). The essence of emotion ensures that our mind functions normally (healthily). The formation theory of psychic phenomena, which elucidates the psychological phenomena of consciousness, language, and personality, performs logistical support. I have elucidated these themes psychoanalytically and reached the level of the emergence of artificial mind (AM), thereby attaining my goal. Thus, emotion is elucidated through psychoanalysis. Only the theme belonging to brain science remains.

 What do other researchers think about my view that emotional cognition is formed prior to perceptual cognition? Almost all researchers would be opposed to this view. They might insist that even if emotional cognition is generated from perceptual cognition, the reverse is impossible. Researchers with views completely opposite to mine should argue for the greater legitimacy of their views as I have done. However, current technological innovation in artificial intelligence (AI) is not influenced by their silence, so my arguments will be evaded. This cannot be helped because AI is booming for the time being. If my view is correct, it must (actually) be an important matter. There is a possibility that conventional views will be completely exploded by mine.

 On my website, I once urged readers to consider whether anyone seriously thinks that "individuals feel sad because they cry." I insist that this position reverses the logical order of things and it is wrong to think there is simple choice in this opinion, but rather it is like shifting from geocentric theory to heliocentric theory. Here, I ask others regarding my research to consider―the idea that perceptual cognition is formed prior to emotional cognition is comparable to the geocentric theory, while the idea that emotional cognition generates perceptual cognition is comparable to the heliocentric theory. I do not persist in focusing only on which precedes. I am convinced that it is quite important for researchers to reconsider the pattern―"perception → cognition → action" and to examine closely the order (which reflects the generating process) of "emotion → consciousness → language → mind."

                                        The structure and function of emotion 

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The Integration Theory of Psychoanalysis is the revolutionary theory of psychoanalysis. It defines mental health & disease, and elucidates every psychological phenomena. Particularly, the cause of psychosis, schizophrenia & manic-depressive disorders, is clarified and their radical
treatment aiming complete recovery is established. The contents beyond all imagination, the elucidation of consciousness & self-consciousness, the way to enlightenment etc. are included in this book. Not only the expert in the field of psychoanalysis but also the persons who have interest in mind will be strongly affected by this book.