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Research

Understanding Emotions

That sensation in our stomachs when we see a loved one, our pupils dilating, or the chill of cold hands when we feel nothing—do we truly feel nothing? Or is there more? What about the tingling in your face when anger surges through you? Humans are inherently driven by emotions, with our bodies signaling every nuanced feeling. But how do we visualize these intangible sensations? How can we display emotions in a textile? These questions stand still.

Emotions permeate every aspect of our existence. To truly grasp their visualization, I needed to delve deeper

What Are Emotions?

Emotions are complex and fascinating. According to some of the most Groundbreaking studies by Lisa Feldman Barrett suggest that emotions are not mere reactions—they are narratives crafted by our brains.

Your Brain Creates Emotions

Emotions originate in the brain. It interprets what’s happening inside your body and predicts what you should feel based on your environment and past experiences.

Your Brain Predicts Emotions

Using learned knowledge, your brain predicts what you will see, feel, or hear. This predictive process is so ingrained that you can "seed" your brain to predict differently, essentially rewiring how you experience emotions.

Another Perspective: Quantum Realitie

Viewing emotions through the lens of quantum realities reveals our individual power to alter our reality. This concept aligns with Barrett’s theory that emotions are shaped by our predictions and experiences.

But Why Do We Feel?

Emotions aren’t random, They serve three critical purposes:—they are essential tools for survival. They serve three critical functions:

  • Motivation: They compel us to act and make decisions.
  • Communication: They help us connect with others, enhancing understanding and relationships.
  • Balance: Emotions and reason converge, enabling us to make thoughtful, empathetic choices.

The Challenge

Visualizing emotions is daunting because they are abstract and personal. I cannot see them, which complicates envisioning a final output. Yet, emotions are conveyed through:

  • Voices
  • Music
  • Text
  • Pictures
  • Color grading in films
  • Dialogues
  • Heart rate and physical responses

How to Translate Emotions?

The debate is anciet. Initially, I considered using physical indicators like EEG waves, pulse, eye dilation, and body temperature to translate emotions into patterns. However, capturing and converting this data into meaningful designs is no small feat.

EEG Waves Limitations

  • High Dimensionality: EEG data is rich with variables, making direct handling challenging.
  • Feature Extraction: Simplifying data through techniques like filtering or Principal Component Analysis is necessary but can strip away nuanced details.
  • Loss of Nuance: Reducing data might remove critical patterns essential for linking brain activity to design features accurately.
  • Balancing Act: Finding the right balance between reducing noise and retaining meaningful information is crucial.

The Beauty of Sound and Waves

Sound is all around us—it's in dialogues, music, and even the silent echo of a lonely glacier. Sound is both metaphorically and literally emotion. Frequencies influence our emotional and physical states. such as the golden frequencies and fear frequencies

Chlandi's Figures

Discovering Chladni's figures sparked a wave of inspiration. These mesmerizing patterns form on a vibrating surface at specific frequencies, illustrating how frequencies shape patterns, akin to how emotions shape experiences.

Chladni's figures are intricate patterns that emerge on a flat surface covered with fine particles, such as sand, when the surface is vibrated at specific frequencies. These figures were first discovered and documented by Ernst Chladni, an 18th-century German physicist and musician, often referred to as the "father of acoustics."

How Chladni Made the Figures

Ernst Chladni's method for creating these figures was relatively simple but profoundly effective:

  • Surface Preparation: Chladni used a flat surface, typically a metal plate, which he covered with a thin layer of sand.
  • Sound Induction: He then used a violin bow to stroke the edge of the plate. By varying the stroking location along the edge and the pressure applied, he could create different vibrational patterns.
  • Pattern Emergence: As the plate vibrated, the sand would move away from areas of high vibration (antinodes) and accumulate in areas of low vibration (nodes). The result was a variety of beautiful and often symmetrical patterns corresponding to the specific vibrational modes of the plate.

The Significance of Chladni's Figures

The significance of these figures lies in their ability to visually demonstrate the invisible vibrations of sound. Chladni's work paved the way for further studies in acoustics, influencing how scientists visualize and understand sound waves. His techniques showed that sound affects physical matter and that vibrations can be controlled and predicted, leading to the development of acoustical engineering and the study of vibrational patterns in materials.

Adding this overview gives a clearer picture of Chladni's figures, connecting them to the broader exploration of sound, frequencies, and their relation to emotions in your text.

Experimenting with Chladni Patterns

Claudia and I attempted to recreate Chladni's figures in the lab. Although the trial wasn't entirely successful, it left me even more intrigued and eager to understand these fascinating patterns further

Next, I explored these patterns in Grasshopper using the Parakeet plugin. I began by creating coded patterns, keeping it simple yet meaningful. My goal is to connect these patterns to actual music or recorded sounds, translating auditory emotions into visual outputs.

Connection Between Sound Frequencies, Brainwaves, and Emotions:

Brainwaves, like sound waves, operate at specific frequencies influencing how we perceive and process the world.

Current Thoughts

The deeper I delve into the study of emotions, the more I realize their complexity. There is no definitive answer on how emotions form and influence us. We're exploring emotions, sound waves, and Chladni's patterns, but can we visualize sound with meaningful impact? A film dialogue, a song, a poem—can these be transformed into something visually impactful? This remains the million-dollar question.