Are emotions experienced in the heart or the brain?

Short answer

The 'experience' of things refers to our consciousness. While consciousness remains a complex concept, current scientific consensus suggests that conscious experiences likely originate in the brain. This includes emotional experiences. However, the body can still influence our emotions in various ways. Two well-known theories regarding the emotional interaction between the body and brain are the James-Lange theory and the Cannon-Bard theory, which are explained further in the detailed answer below.

Longer answer

The short answer to this question is: ‘almost certainly the brain.’ When we speak of experience, we refer to our conscious feelings about events that occur to us. Consciousness is a challenging topic that has occupied philosophers for centuries, and a complete theory of consciousness has yet to be developed. However, all available evidence suggests that conscious experiences take place in the brain.¹ That said, this may feel unsatisfactory because you might respond, ‘Well, sometimes I feel my heart racing, which makes me feel emotions like fear or excitement.’ Therefore, there is indeed an interaction between the heart (or the body) and the brain when it comes to emotions.

Two theories
There are various theories about emotions, each proposing different ideas. Two of the most famous are the James-Lange and Cannon-Bard theories, which offer nearly opposing viewpoints. Let’s take the example of seeing a snake at your feet. The obvious reaction would be fear, but how does this reaction come about?

James-Lange
The James-Lange theory explains this as follows: when you see the snake, your heart rate increases and your pupils dilate. This is your body preparing to escape. Your brain then interprets these bodily changes and realises there is something to fear, which leads to the conscious emotion of fear.² Much evidence shows that bodily reactions like these can influence your emotions, at least in part.³

Cannon-Bard
In contrast, the Cannon-Bard theory argues that bodily responses and conscious experiences are independent. They both co-occur after seeing the snake at your feet.⁴ The work of Joseph LeDoux on the amygdala, a brain region central to fear, supports this theory.⁵ He showed that there are two pathways in the brain involved in this process: the ‘Low Road’ (eyes → thalamus → amygdala) and the ‘High Road’ (eyes → thalamus → cortex → amygdala). Activating these pathways can trigger a fear response independent of bodily functions like heart rate. The High Road aligns with the Cannon-Bard theory: it passes through the cortex, where the conscious experience of seeing the snake arises before reaching the amygdala to trigger the fear response. The Low Road acts more like a reflex, instantly triggering the fear response when the brain detects a serious threat, even before you consciously register it. This is useful in life-threatening situations because it’s faster than the High Road, giving you that crucial fraction of a second to escape.

Somewhere in between
While emotions are likely generated in the brain, the body still plays a vital role in influencing them. The degree to which the body can affect the brain, and vice versa, will vary, and the actual process is likely a blend of the theories discussed above.

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