Startle
A sharp, physical flinch. Your body reacts before your mind.
A sharp, physical flinch. Your body reacts before your mind. The body holds this signal first, often before the mind has named what is happening.
Where startle lives in the body
Head
Pressure, fullness, mental load
Face
Heat, flush, expression building
Arms
Energy or heaviness
Shoulders
Tension, drawn upward
Chest
A faint pull
Related emotions
A note on this entry: The data on this page (definition, body sensations, valence, arousal, related emotions) reflects a structured reference for startle. A full long-form entry is being added gradually. If you have research, a translation, or a body-mapping correction to suggest, please get in touch.