Emotions in the Garden Before Our Fall
Filed Under (Emotions) by Nick on 02-10-2007
Since writing the article 9 Primary Emotions We Respond To, I’ve been pondering what emotions Adam and Eve experienced before they were kicked out of the garden? It’s sometimes difficult to fully understand something without knowing the opposite as well.
For example, how well do you know happiness without also knowing sadness? Having first hand experience of both emotions allows me to better understand which one I’m experiencing in the moment. Some refer to this as the Yin-Yang philosophy.
Returning to the early garden years, is it possible that Adam and Eve understood what they were feeling? Did they have any base reference to what a consequence was? If Adam had neglected some of the animals, would they die? Would he experience the pain of loss?
He must have had some reference to death, or God’s warning about the forbidden tree would have no impact at all. Genesis 2:17 says, “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Not only would they need to understand death, but also about good and evil. Would it then be implied that Adam and Eve did have a base reference to opposite emotions and be the first to understand Yin-Yang?
Oh, how it would have been interesting to be Adam and Eve. Even if they had a base knowledge of pain and loss, I’m sure their primary emotions were of joy and love. They experience complete freedom with only 1 law commandment (besides taking care of the garden and animals and naming them), which was to not eat of that single tree. They were freely naked with no shame!
Then we see how easily Eve and then Adam were persuaded to eat from the forbidden tree. Did they not understand fear? The fear of disobeying God? As you read through the rest of the story in the Bible, you’ll see a gamut of many negative emotions surface, like shame, guilt, anger, rejection, and abandonment.
It was then that humanity first experienced the difference between an oasis and a barren desert. As I work through my own emotions and trying to better understand them, it helps me to reflect back to the origins beyond the definition. I’d like to hear your thoughts and feelings about the emotions in the garden. Please post a comment below. Thank you.
