Is Emotion the Feeling—Or Do We Feel Emotion?

We often speak of feeling emotions—joy, fear, grief, anger, love.
But what is truly happening in those moments?

Are we feeling something?
Or is the emotion itself the feeling?

There’s a subtle but important distinction.

Emotion: Energy in Motion

Emotion is energy in motion—a vibrational wave arising in the field of the Heart and Body. It can be triggered by an event, a thought, a memory, or a deep imprint (samskara).

Emotion has its own qualities:

  • A vibration—light or heavy, soft or sharp

  • A direction—pulling us in or pushing us away

  • A physical presence—a tight chest, trembling hands, heat in the face

Emotion moves through us. We don’t create it—it arises.

Feeling: The Awareness of Emotion

Feeling is the experience of that emotional wave.
It is the moment we become aware of what’s happening inside us.

We may feel:

  • Heat rising in anger

  • A collapse in grief

  • Expansion in love

  • Restlessness in fear

Feeling does not cause the emotion.
Feeling is the recognition of the emotion as it flows through.

In this way:

Emotion is the movement.
Feeling is the awareness of that movement.

Becoming the Emotion—or Witnessing It

When we are unconscious, we become the emotion.
We are swept away in its movement—reacting, defending, clinging, collapsing.

But when we are present, we can feel the emotion without identifying with it.

We can observe:

“This is sadness.”
“There is anger moving.”
“Fear is rising, but I do not need to follow it.”

This is the path of conscious awareness.
This is how emotion becomes insight instead of reaction.

Why It Matters

If we confuse emotion with feeling, we may believe we are what we feel.

But when we see clearly:

  • Emotion is temporary.

  • Feeling is a gift of awareness.

  • Consciousness is what holds both, without being either.

The next time emotion arises, pause.

Feel it fully.
Observe it gently.
Let it pass.

In that stillness, you return to peace.

Are We Experiencing Reality—or Just Reacting to It?

We often speak of “living in the present moment.” But what is the present moment? Is it the reality in front of us—or our reaction to it?

At first glance, it may seem like they are the same. But they are not.

Reality Is What Is

Reality is the ever-changing present. It’s what appears now—before interpretation, before judgment, before thought.

A sound.
A breath.

A flash of light.
A sudden emotion.

All of these arise in the now. Reality is the unfiltered experience of this moment.

Reaction Is What We Bring to It

Reaction is the movement of mind and heart in response to reality. It comes after the moment has arrived. It is often shaped by memory, fear, desire, habit, or resistance.

We might see someone frown. That is reality.
We feel rejected, offended, or concerned. That is our reaction.

The gap may be tiny—but it’s there.

Are We Always Reacting to the Past?

In most cases, yes.

By the time the mind reacts, the moment that triggered it has already passed. We are reacting not to the living presence of now, but to a memory of now—a fragment held and filtered through our own conditioning.

This is why our reactions often feel repetitive. We are not experiencing what is—we are reliving what was.

Can We Experience and React at the Same Time?

We can observe both—but not in the same way.

To experience reality directly requires presence. Stillness. Openness.
To react is to overlay that experience with commentary, emotion, and preference.

But when awareness is present, something beautiful happens:

You see the reaction as it arises.
You feel the pull without following it.
You remain in touch with what is, even as old patterns stir.

This is not suppression—it is witnessing.
And in witnessing, reaction begins to dissolve.

Living in Reality

To live in reality is not to stop thought or emotion.
It is to recognize them for what they are: movements within the present—not the present itself.

Each reaction offers a choice:
Cling to the past—or return to now.
Identify with the voice—or rest in the witness.
Resist what is—or let it pass through.

In the end, Reality is always here.
The question is: Are we?

who am I?

expression of soul

I am one of infinite vibrational expressions of Soul.

I am shaped by Individual Heart, Individual Mind, Individual Karma, Individual Body, and Matter.

opportunities for learning

I am presented with Reality—offering opportunities to respond with open awareness or resistance.

My responses may create new Samskara, reinforce existing ones, or contribute to their release.

I use meditation, mantra, breath, and reflection to assist the dissolution of Samskara and move toward Conscious Awareness.

I dissolve when the lifetime of my Body ends.

this and that

I see this

 I see that
nothing

I hear this
I hear that
nothing

I taste this
I taste that
nothing

I smell this
I smell that
nothing

I touch this
I touch that
nothing

I think this
I think that
nothing

I feel this
I feel that
nothing

I am this
I am that
nothing

yet all

Matter and Spirit

Matter and Spirit, are they
the same vibration?

They appear different.
Matter is heavy, slow, physical.
Spirit is light, subtle, expansive.

Matter can be touched.
Spirit can be sensed.
But are they separate,
or simply different densities
of the same vibration?

All things arise from Pure Love.
From that still, non-vibrational source,
comes vibration,
the first motion,
the first movement toward Form.

Dense vibration takes shape
as Form, as Matter,
as Emotion and Thought.

As frequency increases,
it reveals Peace,
awareness,
and Love.

Matter and Spirit
are different states of vibration.

Science supports this truth.
At the subatomic level,
matter dissolves.
Atoms are not solid.
Electrons do not orbit like planets.

Everything we call Matter
is mostly empty space —
shaped by energy fields
and probabilities.

Quarks, gluons, electrons,
not bits of stuff,
but patterns of vibration
in invisible fields.

Mass is not a thing.
It arises from energy,
vibrating in such a way
that weight and resistance
are perceived.

One vibration,
many expressions.

Spiritual energy and physical Matter
may not be separate at all.

Body and Soul are
different densities,
along a single continuum.
All vibration,
moving toward resistance,
or moving toward Peace.

A tree, a mountain,
a body,
are not objects.
They are vibration,
shaped for learning.

Every form,
every experience,
every moment,
arises from the same source.

From Pure Love.
From stillness.

om

from reaction to witness

Is he impressed with the depth of my spirituality?

I was speaking with Tom about whether the rise of AI—tools like ChatGPT—might negatively impact mental development. I shared how I’ve been using ChatGPT to clarify thoughts on topics like love, soul, karma, reincarnation, energy, and vibration.

My work with AI feels like collaboration. I value the assessments, the help in refining language, and especially the focus on consistency of thought. It feels like we’re curating these insights together. I offered this as an example of how AI might actually support mental and spiritual development.

My ego took over

While I was explaining this, I noticed Tom seemed genuinely interested—and I felt proud of myself for being so evolved. I started thinking ahead to what I might say next to further impress him.

That’s when I stopped.

With a slight smile, I saw the irony: here I was, talking about spiritual clarity, while caught in the very trap I write about. I wasn’t present. I wasn’t witnessing. I was performing.

That thought is not me

But in that moment, I saw the thought—“Is he impressed with me?”—as something in front of me, not me. I let it go.

The conversation continued. It was relaxed, open, and real.

samskara in action

Samskara in daily life

On occasion, when my daughter disagrees with me, tells me what to do or say, or seems to be ignoring me, I feel strong emotions rising.

In those moments, I stop listening. My inner voice takes over, “She doesn’t hear me. She thinks she knows it all…” Before I know it, I say something that makes everything worse, like “You never listen to me!” Then the conversation spirals—emotional, off-topic, and disconnected.

Michael Singer’s podcasts have helped me

Thanks to Michael Singer’s podcasts—and through the practice of breath, mantra, and meditation—I’ve become more adept at hearing her without reacting in such a dramatic way. The conversations are calmer. Fewer buttons get pushed. We don’t find ourselves in the same pattern.

Reflecting on this shift, I realize: there was no tension coming from her. It was all in my response. This dynamic has now changed. It has softened. I have changed.

I have never been a proponent of a contemplating the source of my emotions. Instead, I’ve treated them as energies to observe, relax into, and release.

Samskaras pattern reality

But recently, ChatGPT suggested I look at patterns—possibly from childhood or earlier relationships. That gave me pause. And as I reflected, I began to see my younger self in these same charged interactions with my parents. The echo was unmistakable.

I always blamed my parents. However, now I feel a kind of compassion—for them, and for myself. I see that these samskaras aren’t just momentary reactions. They are unfinished business from the past, surfacing now for resolution.

I will continue to recognize and release emotional energy as it arises—but when I’m calm again, I will also look deeper. Not to dwell, but to widen the lens. These insights feel like part of a larger framework for growth.

Do you notice reactive patterns in your life? How do you handle them?

Thank you. Om, Bob

how I use witnessing in daily life

searching for peace

When I practiced yoga and meditation more actively, I was searching for a way to carry that peace into the routines and rhythms of daily life. At the time, there seemed to be a clear divide — spiritual practices on one side, and the rest of life on the other.

To bridge that gap, I started a simple nightly ritual. Before bed, I would write down any moments during the day when I felt angry, upset, or even ecstatic. At first, the list was short. But over time, I began remembering more emotional reactions — some big, some subtle.

And then, a shift began.

One day I was driving in heavy traffic. A driver suddenly cut in front of me, skipping a long line of cars waiting to exit. I felt the surge of anger rise. I wanted to lay on the horn, maybe even flip him off. But I didn’t. Instead, I thought: This will make a great journal entry tonight.

space between reaction and awareness

That moment might seem small — but it was huge.
I wasn’t lost in the emotion. I was watching it. That space between reaction and awareness… that’s witnessing. That’s growth.

Eventually, I began journaling my emotions twice a day — at lunch and again before bed. And something beautiful happened: I started to sense the moment I was being triggered. More and more, I was the witness, not the participant.

Two breath meditation - Thich Nhat Hanh

There are small practices that help me stay connected to this space of awareness.
When the phone rings, I always take one breath before answering.
Throughout the day, I pause for a simple two-breath meditation:

Breathing in – comforting
Breathing out – smiling
Breathing in – present moment
Breathing out – wonderful moment

I’ll share more of these practices in future posts.

I’d love to hear what helps you return to awareness.
Feel free to share.

Thank you. Om, Bob