Mirroring Emotions and Vitality Forms

This chapter explores the mirror property in the emotion and vitality form domains. Several studies prove that the anterior insula (AI), the amygdala, and the anterior cingulated cortex (ACC) are key nodes in the cortical and subcortical networks involved in expressing and recognizing emotions such as disgust, fear, and mirth. Recent research indicates that the dorso-central insula is also endowed with mirror property, playing a critical role in encoding our own and others’ vitality forms. We propose that the same processes underlying the expression of emotions or vitality forms are recruited when observing them in others, thus allowing us to understand their emotions and moods. We refer to this kind of understanding as an ‘understanding from the inside’, which involves sharing core phenomenal aspects between first- and second-person experiences of emotions and vitality forms.