What do atheists believe a heartache is and were does it come from?

Question

Just curious what an atheist believes a heartache is when a loved one dies, or when a divorce happens, or when a child dies. If we are just animals why do we have heartaches, love, feelings, emotions? So is a heartache a chemical process felt in the heart due to a separation of something that they knew for a while?

Its obvious by my answers that I said my ? Wrong. I meant WHAT ARE FEELINGS, how are they created? I know that atheists experience feelings all humans do, my ? was trying to get the expertise of an atheists point of view on why we experience feelings as humans and were they come from. Why have them? How did we evolve into thinking feeling humans? Whats the point for them? Also, after reading these answers I have noticed atheists seems to be very angry. and tend to make fun of my ? the most. What is it about an atheists that makes them so angry and mean to people with a simple question?

Answer 1

It's a neurological condition -- it's in the brain. When you drop 10 feet, you "feel" it in your stomach, but that's an illusion because it's sensed in your ears.

Answer 2

Heartache is basically deep sorrow usually brought on by the loss of someone close. It is an emotional response caused by chemical changes in the brain.

I don't pretend to know what this response is all about but I am not going to jump to any conclusion about this including God.

I am sorry to see some Atheists answering your question in such a rude way. We are not all like that. I must point out, however, that many Christians have treated me much worse.

Answer 3

If you mean the physical sensation: consider this.

The heart is a blood pump. You know this, right? I mean, you had a basic biology class? Then you know what the heart is. Muscle, nerves, chambers, pump.

So now, where do you think the sensation comes from? Would it be something conjured up by the brain, perhaps? Influenced by culture? We know the heartrate can be influenced by the brain (thoughts, desire), and we've established that emotional pain (like rejection, heartbreak) corresponds with neural activity increases in a part of the brain called the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), just as it does when we experience physical pain.

Now, couple that with the fact that when people "grasp" at their heart (in dramatic or scared gestures, not actual heart attacks) they tend to grasp at where they think the heart is and not where the actual heart is. The same often applies to people describing heartbreak, although they usually don't appreciate it when you ask them 'excuse me, but where exactly do you feel this pain'. Trust me, I know.

Answer 4

I'm not an atheist myself, but last time I checked, atheists were human beings, and therefore experienced the same basic emotions common to all humans. This includes sadness and "heartache". An atheist friend of mine is going through a divorce, and he's saddened by this. Who wouldn't be? Theists or non-theists, we are all subject to experiencing emotions sometimes. Heartache, to me, would seem to be a primarily psychological and/or biochemical function, and hence is rooted in the mind, not the heart.

Answer 5

Emotions are not an exclusively religious concept, and I can't imagine why you would think they are so it's impossible for me to really answer you properly.

However, I'll say that as an atheist I do not believe emotions are anything other than natural and biological. And that part of biology is something called psychosematic effects. Psychosematic effects are effects that emotions have on the body. There is a complex array of reasons why this happens, and if you are interested in learning you might want to look up Frued's studies on the matter since it's something he was interested in.

Answer 6

Before you presume that animals don't have emotions, buy yourself a cat. Most, if not all, mammals do indeed have emotions. They feel things, they are "sad" if someone is gone, they are "happy" when their owners arrive home.

Beyond that, humans are animals. We are not some different life form. There are 3 types of matter on the planet: animal, vegetable, and mineral. Much as your questions point towards vegetable, I have to conclude your ability to type makes you an animal.

Answer 7

You answered your own question. If reality isn't sentimental and romantic enough for some people it's too bad, because reality is a lot more amazing than the kind of mythologies some folks prefer, like storks delivering babies, as opposed to the truly impressive process of conception and gestation.

But I can easily prove that all you feel is created by chemicals simply by altering your chemistry. You feel pain, you take a pain killer, no more pain. It's a completely physical process.

Answer 8

animals have emotions too and yes we are animals great apes if you want to be specific and yes heartache is an emotion felt when you lose something you where close to


if you don't believe animals have emotions than whatever pet you ever had or will have obviously didn't/doesn't/will not love you back

feelings come from chemicals produced by various glands?

Answer 9

We have "heartaches" because we are social animals that care for our loved ones. Elephants are also known to miss loved ones and I don't see people claiming that they believe in gods.

In any case, "heartache" is in fact a chemical reaction, just like anything else that occurs in the body.

Answer 10

What do you mean "what a heartache is"? You KNOW what it is. Its your bodies reaction to your emotions causing you to feel terrible. THATS what it is.

Your emotions are a chemical process. Feeling like your heart is bursting, when it isn't, is your body's reaction to that chemical process.

You see.. you already answered your own question.

Its not about "believing it to be true", its demonstratable proven fact by science. Why in hell do you think your heart races when you're under stress? Do you honestly stupidly think its "just because"?

Does religion stunt your thinking process that you can't process facts?

Answer 11

Atheists call attention to the lack of a God, not the lack of emotions.

And by the way, animals experience heartache too. Ever had a pet?