These Forest Finds are for us to pause. They are meant to quickly expand knowledge, spark curiosity and make connections to consider. There are so many disciplines in the humanities that can offer new insights for a chaplaincy practice. As you make connections or discover fascinating facts please post them in the Random Facts Space in the community section.
Biology, Bodies, and Temperament
Have your first impressions of a care recipient ever directed you to emotions and feelings that surprise you? Our training guides our rational mind not to judge, presume or assume, but our bodies often do the opposite.
The awareness of how the human brain works will enable a minister to devise ways of addressing their emotions and understanding when others do or do not have the capacity to do the same.
It is the intentional attempt to work against the “flow of your brain.” The chaplain has to remember that human beings react to situations emotionally before they can reason. Even though they process the situation to the point of reasoning, reasoning does not override the emotions.
Therefore, the chaplain’s understanding of self and others is of utmost importance.
Our primary resource below explores how each burst of emotion chemicals, from the time it's produced in the hypothalamus to the time it’s completely broken down and absorbed, lasts about six seconds. If we’re feeling something for longer than six seconds, we are – at some level – choosing to recreate and refuel those feelings.
Consider
Do you assist careseekers in distinguishing between emotions and feelings?