A lot of people use them interchangeably. Sometimes I do too.
But there are differences.
Feelings are senses detecting what you feel through your 11 inputs.
Hearing
Taste
Sight
Smell
Heat
Cool
Pain
Pleasure
Sense of balance (vestibular)
Pressure
Motion (kinesthetic)
Some people like the proverbial sixth sense which is the ability to discern psychic or vibes or ghosts. I don't subscribe to those as I put them under subliminal dynamics.
All of these allow you to determine what is going on out there as it feeds binary data into your nervous system.
Emotions on the other hand are what those feelings mean. They are are short lived and subjective. Our interpretation of the intensity and particulars then have an impact on us. These too fall into categories and have both combinations and harmonics.. Different theorist identify different energy conduits of emotions, which generally include happy, sad, mad, fear, with a few others listing about a dozen.
Some argue that emotion is the primary motivational system.Here are a few examples.
- Plutchik uses his psychoevolutionary model
- Bruce E. Morton uses the Hexadyad primary emotion model from the University of Hawaii
1. certainty-expectancy vs. confusion-surprise
2. confidence vs. fear
3. pleasure vs. disgust
4. gratitude vs. anger
5. elation vs. grief
6. satisfaction vs. desire
- Gray theorizes that there are three basic emotions rooted in separated brain circuits;
Behavioral approach system (joy),
Flight or fight system (fear/anger)
Behavioral inhibition system (anxiety).
- Carrol Izzard sees 10 emotions:
anger,
fear,
distress,
joy,
disgust,
surprise,
shame,
guilt,
interest
contempt.
- Andrew Hong has this one.
- A treatment center uses this as a quick indicator.
- Sally Bradford produced this one.
My preference is to start with Plutchik's model which comprises eight, then modify what each does because I include intensity values along with spiritual dynamics which Plutchik doesn't. The chart then shows increasing energy and how to modify each drive with a spiritual awareness.
The basic conduits (categories) of energy are the following 8.
Affiliation (Belonging)
Gratification (Contentedness)
Anticipation (pleasurable expectation)
Surprise (startled)
Disgust (Sickened, get rid of)
Anger (Injustice)
Fear (Survival)
Sadness (Loss)