Recent Investigations on the Physiological Basis of Emotions,
Abstract
A discussion of the problem of emotion takes naturally as its origin the ideas which Walter B. Cannon developed a number of years ago, and I would like to start with the discussion of a diagram which summarizes Cannon's ideas on these matters. In the diagram it is shown that the thalamus is activated by afferent stimuli. These impulses are relayed to other parts of the diencephalon and result in a downward discharge activating viscera and skeletal muscle. In addition, they elicit an upward discharge which is the equivalent of the feeling tone of the emotion. Cannon assumed further that there would be an upward discharge to the cortex of the brain which would diminish the inhibitory action of this structure on the thalamus or on the hypothalamus. This is the general scheme and I will follow it and try to implement it by the work which has been done in the intervening years.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1949
- Accession Number
- ADA323487
Entities
People
- E. Gellhorn
Organizations
- University of Minnesota