7 Types of Mental State

John Spacey, April 27, 2020

A mental state is an emotion or condition that greatly influences an individual's thought processes at a moment in time. Where there are hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of identifiable emotions these can be mapped to a handful of mental states. The following are commonly cited mental states with examples of emotions and conditions associated with each.

Love

A feeling of intense caring, devotion and positivity.

Acceptance	Admiration
Affection	Empathy
Faith	Gratitude
Hope	Humility
Pride	Sentimentality
Sympathy	Trust

Pleasure

A feeling of satisfaction and enjoyment.

Amusement	Anticipation
Awe	Bliss
Cheer	Comfort
Contentment	Enjoyment
Enthusiasm	Euphoria
Excitement	Happiness
Humor	Joy
Optimism	Playfulness
Relaxation	Surprise

Flow

Flow is a state of immersion in the moment.

Absorbed	Attentive
Aware	Brave
Confident	Curious
Focused	Interested
Mindful	Passion
Reflective	Vigilant

Apathy

A state of detachment and disinterest.

Alienation	Anomie
Boredom	Cold
Detachment	Disaffection
Disinterest	Exhausted
Indifferent	Isolation
Lethargic	Listless
Unfeeling	Weary

Anxiety

A state of worry about the future.

Angst	Apprehensive
Dread	Fear
Fear of Missing Out	Nervousness
Panic	Pessimism
Restlessness	Tension
Unease	Worry

Pain

An unpleasant mental state that can be described as suffering.

Anguish	Confusion
Disgust	Embarrassment
Envy	Gloom
Grief	Guilt
Jealousy	Melancholy
Misery	Nostalgia
Physical Pain	Rejection
Saudade	Schadenfreude
Sorrow

Hate

A painful state of hostility.

Anger	Animosity
Distrust	Hostility
Rage	Resentment
Revulsion	Spite

Overview: Mental State
Type	Emotion
Definition (1)	An emotion or condition that greatly influences an individual's thought processes at a moment in time.
Definition (2)	A foundational emotion.
Related Concepts	Emotion » Thought Processes » Flow »

Emotion

This is the complete list of articles we have written about emotion.

Emotional Intelligence

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References

Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly, and Isabella Selega Csikszentmihalyi, eds. Optimal experience: Psychological studies of flow in consciousness. Cambridge university press, 1992.

Putnam, Hilary. "The nature of mental states." Readings in philosophy of psychology 1 (1980): 223-231.