Body Quote by Antonio Damasio
“Interestingly enough, not all feelings result from the body's reaction to external stimuli. Sometimes changes are purely simulated in the brain maps.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Self Comes to Mind, Antonio Damasio, 2010
Feelings can arise without external input, generated internally by brain simulations.
In simple terms: Feelings may be created by the brain alone.
Key Takeaway
Recognize internal origins of emotions.
Themes
neuroscience
psychology
emotion
consciousness
Mood
thoughtful
introspective
Type
philosophical
scientific
When to use this quote
- therapy
- mindfulness practice
- self‑reflection
- creative work
Key Concepts
brain simulation
internal generation
mind-body relation
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you differentiate internally generated feelings from those triggered by the world?
- Can awareness of this change emotional regulation?
A Different Perspective
External stimuli are not always necessary for emotional experience.
![“We may express them [emotions] physically slightly differently, and it's of course graded depending on the circumstance, but the essence of the process is going to be the same, unless one of us is not quite well put together and is missing something, otherwise it's going to be the same.” quote by Antonio Damasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/461/antonio-damasio-9144_circumstances_we-may-express-them-emotions-physically_245207.jpg)
![“I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests with ZERO-G [a charter-flight service in Arlington, Va., that uses modified Boeing 727s to simulate weightlessness], which went great.” quote by Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aa1/richard-branson-256_adventure_i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-repl_903.jpg)
