Primal | pri· mal | \ ˈprī-məl adjective

Definition of primal

1. original, primitive
2. first in importance: primary

There are base emotions which, when given gradients and blended, create the rest of our emotional responses; these have been regarded as our “primal emotions.” However as I continue to explore the plethora of emotions that play a part in our emotional compositions, I’m drawn back to searching for something beyond a base 6/8 composition—rather a primary, or primal, emotion.

We’ve learned responses and reactions are more or less defined by our emotional dispositions, and our ability to interpret and manipulate said responses. This is learned behavior, through thousands of years of training. In searching for a base emotion, I see something that is free of thought and almost purely reactionary. Similar to how we perceive a fly; we do not see fear or confusion, pride, or desire, we see reactionary measures alone. At some point, our primitive minds must have been similar, and this is where my conception of the “primal emotion” comes from.