Mixed emotions may not be mixed after all

Mixed feelings were associated with specific patterns of activity in the amygdala and nucleus accumbens, which differed from patterns seen during exclusively positive and negative emotions. According to the authors, this finding suggests that mixed emotions are a separate emotional experience, rather than being a true 'mix' of two or more feelings.

state changes in several areas (specifically the insular cortex, anterior cingulate, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens) allowed them to predict moments when participants would switch between new emotional states.