How All Passions Are Caused by Some Movement of the Spirits

37. How Passions are Created by the Movement of the Animal Spirits

The passions are created by the spirits in the cavities of the brain when they:

• go towards the nerves that enlarge or constrict the heart’s orifices
• push the blood towards the heart from other parts, or in some other way to maintain the same passion

38. Example of Involuntary Bodily Movements [Instincts] That Accompany Passions

The animal spirits can move the pineal gland to create fear in the soul. This happens when they go to the nerves of the heart by themselves.

Likewise, some spirits simultaneously go towards the nerves of the legs to flee. This moves the pineal gland and makes the soul feel this flight.

In this way, fear and flight can be excited in the body solely by the disposition of the organs, without the soul contributing to it.

39. How the Same Cause Can Excite Different Passions in Different People

The impression on the gland from a frightening object can:

• cause fear in some men
• excite courage and boldness in others

This is because not all brains are disposed in the same way.

The same movement of the pineal gland that excites fear in some, might cause the spirits in others towards opposite actions.

They might:

• enter the pores of the brain into the nerves that move the hands for defense
• partly enter those nerves that push the blood towards the heart to produce spirits to sustain the will.

40. What Is the Principal Effect of Passions?

The passions incite and dispose the soul to act in certain ways.

• The feeling of fear incites the soul to want to flee.
• The feeling of boldness incites it to want to fight, and so on for the others.

41. What Is the Power of the Soul Over the Body?

The willpower is so free by its nature that it can never be constrained.

The soul has 2 kinds of thoughts:

1. Actions, as its willpower

These are absolutely within its power and can only be indirectly changed by the body.

All the action of the soul is in there mere willing of something.

The willpower makes the pineal gland move to produce the effect that matches that will.

2. Passions, as all kinds of perceptions

These depend absolutely on the actions that produce them. They can only be indirectly changed by the soul, except when it is itself their cause.