Brainfeels: Linguistics of Consciousness
mouthfeel noun the physical sensations in the mouth produced by a particular food.
brainfeel noun a mental sensation consisting of a complex combination of emotions, sensations, memories, thoughts, values, and past experiences.
The memory of leaving summer camp as a child exudes a very specific, sometimes conflicting combination of nostalgia mixed with jealously (of your past self), memories of games played with friend, sadness and happiness, the smell of pine trees, camaraderie and loneliness, and the taste of roasted marshmallows. A brainfeel term that describes both the sadness and relief of an event ending is Awumbuk.
Love is another living example of a brainfeel. It is a combination of many specific emotions, memories, experiences, smells, people and more that add up to be much more than the sum of their parts. Of course, the idea of love is so much more than a simple neurological state, but my point is that it may help to understand certain complex emotions like Love by referring to their brainfeel term.
Brainfeels are not simply very specific emotions. This limits the thought process when someone tries to describe a complete mental state. Brainfeels consist of all aspects of consciousness that help to build a congruous whole, which includes emotions.
Brainfeels experienced throughout every conscious moment can be extremely complex. Since every waking moment of consciousness is a conglomeration of what you’re doing, what you’re thinking, experiencing, feeling, etc, a brainfeel could speak volumes if you tried to explain it using common words. Better to coin a brainfeel so you can talk about it with others!
Also See:
23 Perfect Words For Emotions You Never Realised Anyone Else Felt
A ‘Mouth-feel Wheel’: terminology for communicating the mouth-feel characteristics of red wine
