Is it normal to have feelings that are infuriatingly hard to pin down?

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7 Comments

With certain things, places, people, songs, and dreams, I associate feelings and aesthetics which are so vague and abstract that I can only pull out specific things also associated with the feeling, but I don't have a word or concept in my vocabulary for the whole cluster. I can only describe such feelings as large icebergs submerged in the murky waters of my subconscious, and it drives my nuts trying to communicate them or even figure out what they mean to me. Do any of you think you've had similar experiences?

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Based on 68 votes (35 yes)
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Comments ( 7 )
  • Chillpill
    12 years ago

    yes, it's normal, the limitations of language can be frustrating sometimes. It's possible that some of the words you're looking for already exist in other languages. New ways of expression are also one of the great appeals of poetry and song lyrics.

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  • shade_ilmaendu
    12 years ago

    Hmm... I know what you mean, though ive never tried to put it into words. Our language is confining when compared to the vastness of our consciousness and emotional depth, it's only natural that many things we feel are ineffable... They're there, but we can't explain it... :)

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  • Avant-Garde
    9 years ago

    I feel as though I can relate.

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  • MusicCoffee&Rain
    12 years ago

    That happens to me all of the time!!! Certain memories, places, sounds, smells, etc. make me feel a certain way, but I can't pin down any words that can describe it. This especially happens to me w/ one specific feeling that I associate w/ rainy days, cafes, certain lighting, big cities, starry nights, etc.--it's kind of a euphoric yet laid-back, comfortable feeling. It's honestly kind of like a drug for me--chasing down any random thing that can cause me to feel that way. I also get a certain unsettling feeling in certain places. My mom thinks that I'm "feeling an evil presence" but I just don't buy that, personally. I just have complex feelings and I'm a very empathetic person.

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  • Crudhouse
    12 years ago

    Feelings get complicated when there are a lot of simple feelings that are combined to form mind objects. You should definitely meditate

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  • [Old Memory]
    12 years ago

    i dont understand, do you feel uneasy about something but dont know what?

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  • squirrelgirl
    12 years ago

    You might want to look into alexithymia, which is the inability to figure out and describe your own feelings.

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