Mim's Life

Thursday, March 30, 2006

emotions and God

In one of my lectures this week we talked a bit about a study that was done where they wanted to test if/how high arousal affects peoples emotions. This was done by having one group of guys walk across a suspension bridge with an atractive female model talk to them and give them her number compared to another group who where given her number with the idea that the group on the bridge where more aroused (either scared or excited- think guys a much more likely to admit to the later of the 2!). Anyway, a significantly higher number of the guys from the bridge phone the lady back compared to those who weren't- with the conclusion that the amount of arousal affect the intensity of emotion (the bridge guys felt a higher level of desire).
In other studies done, it's been found that both music we like and music which is generally considered to be arousing is- so our emotions while listening to such music is also intensified (marketers are so not stupid when they have music esp. arousing music during their adds!!).
Is that intensified emotion really a good thing- esp at church stuff?
How does/ would that affect how we relate to God?
Is having an alter call straight after arousing/ popular music even ethical? (does that explain why in my experience they often don't last?)

That may also be why so many teenagers come to christ- rekon the teens are a pritty full on arousing period of life, so they find this intense emotional eexperience with God but when things settle down they think somethings wronge and thats it, Gods not there anymore. the relationship was based on emotion.
Does this also mean that musicians are a bunch of emotionally high freaks!?! (think Steve would prob think so after I burst into tears at him during the week, may also explain why I act like a teenager a lot).

So is that emotionally intense desire/ seeking of God what we should be aiming to achieve or is it unethical?

2 Comments:

  • At 3:22 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    hey mim. highly interesting qns! and things that fit in with what i'm learning in psych at the moment - sympathetic n parasympathetic nervous systems = arousal and stressors etc lol! hows uni going? hope it's goin well. and why'd you burst into tears the other day? I mean, not like you have to say, but should i worry about you? :) keep rockin'
    mase.

     
  • At 8:17 PM, Blogger Mim said…

    Ha, nah I'm fine- just a highly emotional musician- way too embarrising to disclose the story here but but happy to share next time I see ya!
    yeah, uni's going well- have a few assingnments coming up but I guess you've got to expect that! Hope your walking all over yr 12!

     

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