Affective shifts: mood, emotion and well-being

Abstract It is a familiar feature of our affective psychology that moods ‘crystalize’ into emotions, and emotions ‘diffuse’ moods. Providing detailed philosophical account these shifts, as I will call them, the central aim this paper. Drawing on contemporary philosophy emotion mood, alongside distinctive ideas from phenomenologically-inspired writer Robert Musil, broadly ‘intentional’ ‘evaluativist’ be defended. argue we do best to understand important features shifts–which document across paper–in terms intentional evaluative aspects respective states emotion. At same time, pitched at phenomenological level, dealing with shifts primarily in experiential states, respect which it feels-like-something undergoing relevant experience. The paper also applies intentional-evaluative model anxiety more detail, developing idea certain patterns shift, particularly those allow for kind ‘emotional release’, can contribute subject’s well-being.