A reader asked me whether the descriptions of the emotions’
containers mentioned in the book should be taken literally or figuratively.
Obviously, these containers physically do not exist, so their definitions
should be taken figuratively. At the same time, Secret Techniques for Controlling Sadness, Anger, Fear, Anxiety, and
Other Emotions is meant to be a guide for controlling one’s bothersome
emotions, and as you follow the instructions you’ll feel an emotion appearing
in a specific, dedicated area of your torso, which “contains” that feeling. So,
from the subjective point of view of somebody who’s experiencing the appearance
of a given emotion, the existence of containers becomes literal.
