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This is my reply to a forum thread that I wanted to be able to reference later without digging through the forum.





I agree with emotions just being chemical reactions within our brains. But, these chemical reactions are very complex, and two different people will not react the same way to the same stimulii. Music for instance, I may find a well-written orchestral piece to induce feelings of calmness and serenity, while another person may find feelings of being energized from the same piece.



So, what causes two people, of the same species, whose emotions are caused by the same chemical reactions, to have completey different emotional responses to the same stimuli?



One argument could be genetics. We each have slightly different DNA. Perhaps that causes differences in what we feel about things? But what about someone that changes their emotional response to something? Does our DNA change that much? I don't think so. I think DNA may have some effect on our individual reactions to stimuli, but it doesn't explain everything.



So what then?



I believe it is what most would call a soul. The soul, I think, is an energy force that gives us life, that is part of a cycle. When we are born, or concieved, depending on how you want to look at it, we draw our life force from a stream that is endlessly flowing. It's made up of two parts, equal but opposite. We each draw different amounts of each type, which gives us different inclinations in our feelings and actions. I don't think this is an absolute, that we can change the balance within ourselves through willpower, and the effects of our environment.



So yes, I think we have a soul, and yes, I think emotions are chemical reactions that can be altered by drugs.