Article

This survey takes into account the unconscious aspects of emotions and the
critical role played in them by the right hemisphere, considering different
acceptations of the term 'unconscious'. In a preliminary step, the nature of
emotions, their componential and hierarchical organization and the relationships
between emotions and hemispheric specialization are shortly discussed, then
different aspects of emotions are surveyed: first are reviewed studies dealing
with the unconscious processing of emotional information, taking separately into
account various lines of research. All these studies suggest that unconscious
processing of emotional information is mainly subsumed by a right hemisphere
subcortical route, through which emotional stimuli quickly reach the amygdala. We
afterwards inquire if a right hemisphere dominance can also be observed in
automatic emotional action schemata and if 'non-removed preverbal implicit
memories' also have a preferential link with the right hemisphere. Finally, we
try to evaluate if the right hemisphere may also play a critical role in dynamic
unconscious phenomena, such as anosognosia/denial of hemiplegia in patients with
unilateral brain lesions. In the last part of the review, the reasons that could
subsume the right hemisphere dominance for unconscious emotions are shortly
discussed.
CI - Copyright (c) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS