Revulsion

Revulsion is a strong, aversive emotional reaction to stimuli perceived as offensive, repugnant, or morally troubling. It often manifests as a desire to withdraw, accompanied by nausea, gagging, or a physical shudder. While closely related to disgust, revulsion is typically described as a more intense, urgent reaction to immediately aversive sensory or social cues.

In psychology, revulsion is part of the broader emotion of disgust. Research by Rozin distinguishes core disgust (sensory contamination), body-boundary violations, and moral disgust; revulsion can arise from any of these pathways. Physiologically, revulsion involves autonomic arousal—rapid heartbeat, sweating, changes in breathing—and, in pronounced cases, gagging or vomiting.

Common triggers include spoiled or decaying food, foul odors, blood or exposed internal tissues, and disturbing physical violence. Revulsion also operates in response to moral or social violations, such as cruelty or betrayal, though the experience and intensity vary across cultures and individuals.

Evolutionarily, revulsion likely evolved to help humans avoid disease and injury by steering behavior away from potential contaminants. Cultural norms shape what is deemed repugnant, leading to variation in revulsion triggers across societies.

In language and culture, revulsion is used rhetorically to express strong disapproval or to evoke sympathy or distancing in audiences. It remains a focus of study in psychology, anthropology, and neuroscience as part of the broader spectrum of disgust.