Emotions: What is disgust?

Dr. Paul Ekman, Ph.D. (paulekman.com); Ananda (DBM), Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

In Buddhist psychology (Abhidhamma) "feelings" does not refer to emotions but to sensations. Emotions are more complex and categorized as "mental formations" (sankaras), part of the Five Aggregates that constitute the "self." Self itself is not real -- in an ultimate sense -- but the Buddha explained what we are in the conventional sense of ordinary experience. Consciousness is a process, not a thing. Penetrating these five heaps or groups or collections of thought moments and mental concomitants (cittas and cetasikas) can lead to sudden awakening by realizing the impersonal, impermanent, and disappointing nature of things (the Three Characteristics of Existence). The supermundane experience of nirvana is far superior and leads to full liberation.

What is disgust?

The Atlas of Emotions (paulekman.com)

Disgust is one of the seven universal emotions [anger, contempt, enjoyment, fear, sadness, surprise] and arises as a feeling of aversion towards something offensive.

We can feel disgusted by something we perceive with our physical senses (sight, smell, touch, sound, taste), by the actions [karma] or appearances of people, and even by ideas.

Feeling disgust

Disgust contains a range of states with varying intensities from mild dislike to intense loathing. All states of disgust are triggered by the feeling that something is aversive, repulsive, and/or toxic.

Disgust may also alternate with the feeling of anger if the disgusted person is angry about being made to feel disgust.

What disgusts us

Karma (deeds) like cheating are disgusting.

The universal trigger for disgust is the feeling that something is offensive, poisonous, or contaminating. We can feel disgusted by something we perceive with our physical senses (sight, smell, touch, sound, taste), by the actions [karma] and appearances of people, and even by ideas.

Some triggers for disgust are universal (such as encountering certain bodily products), whereas other triggers are much more culturally and individually influenced (such as certain types of food).

There is an ongoing debate within the scientific community as to whether certain forms of interpersonal and social disgust (being disgusted by another person’s appearance, actions, ideas, or social standing) are learned and culture-specific or whether they exist in some form across all cultures.

For example, everyone may have disgust reactions to a “morally tainted” person, but what is considered “morally tainted” might vary across cultures.

Common disgust triggers

Expelled bodily products such as feces, vomit, urine, mucus, and blood are disgusting as are certain foods (often from cultures other than our own). But there's more like something rotting, diseased, or dying and injuries, surgeries, and/or being exposed to bodily insides.

A person, animal, or thing one considers physically ugly is disgusting as are perceived perversions or actions of other people (such as certain sexual inclinations, torture, or servitude).

Development of disgust

Children and adolescents often have a fascination with disgust as do some adults (including finding disgusting things humorous and/or intriguing). For young children, however, disgust doesn’t begin to develop until sometime between the ages of four and eight.

Before that emotional development, children experience distaste, the rejection of things that taste bad, but not disgust. Additional studies have shown that kids aren’t bothered by some of the things that adults find disgusting (e.g., eating a bar of chocolate shaped like dog feces).

One theory is that when we are younger, we do not yet have the cognitive capacity necessary for certain forms of learned disgust.

Recognizing disgust

The facial expression of disgust: The most easily recognizable and obvious sign of disgust is the wrinkling of the nose [as if saying "phew" due to the stench of something rotten].

Vocal expressions of disgust

Common vocal expressions are making a “yuck” or “ew” sound, choking, and gagging. Physical sensations of disgust Common sensations include revulsion in the mouth, throat, and/or stomach, and nausea, or physical repulsion (i.e., vomiting).

Posture of disgust

Disgust often leads to physically turning the head or body away from the source of disgust. When disgust leads to nausea, reactions also include covering the nose/mouth and hunching over. More