Body Atlas Reveals Where We Feel Happiness and Shame

New research reveals that emotional states are universally associated with certain bodily sensations, regardless of individuals’ culture or language.

D-brief
By Gemma Tarlach
Dec 30, 2013 8:00 PMApr 17, 2020 6:25 PM
Emotion Body Map - Nummenmaa et al.
Yellow shows regions of increased sensation while blue areas represent decreased feeling in these composite images. (Credit: Lauri Nummenmaa, Enrico Glerean, Riitta Hari and Jari Hietanen)

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Chests puffing up with pride — and happiness felt head to toe — are sensations as real as they are universal. And now we can make an atlas of them.

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