[Liskaspexia]

an evocative analogy! but my mind gravitated immediately to the clutch. in the automatic transmission, the powertrain control module computer (modern cars, of course) contains software algorithms that control shift points and many other aspects of operation, like the degree of "slip" of the fluid clutch, most notably torque converter lock-up where slip is eliminated (commonly called, overdrive). high-performance trannies utilize differently tuned algorithms to maximize torque conversion and power transfer, especially in concert with engine control algorithms.

then there's the older style manual trans. you pushed on a pedal that operated a spring-loaded lever system that pressed together or separated spinning disks, some attached to the motor shaft, and others attached to the gearbox. letting the pedal spring back by taking your foot off of it brought the two sets of disks together, which connected the motor shaft disks to the gearbox disks; let off a little and only a little power gets through; let off too fast at too low an engine speed and you'd stall the engine. let off the pedal too little (i.e. ride the clutch) at high enough engine speed and you'd burn up the clutch.

the analogy is evocative, though i'm not sure how to flesh it out according to the example you've set. i like the automatic trans because you can program it to a great degree, because i like the idea that you can program/train your self/psyche to function automatically while you steer, brake, and open/close throttle--which are perhaps most important to driving.

however, for me the analogy breaks down where will (the engine) drives the emotional nature (trans). i thought of the clutch when someone mentioned about being aware of a rising emotion and seemed to suggest letting it rise, where i immediately thought of disengaging the clutch to starve the rising emotion of the power it would use to disturb consciousness.

like you, though, i don't consider any of the emotions dispensable. what i consider generally unnecessary is the disturbance they can cause at high power levels, i guess because i'm usually thinking. i get useful information from their coming and going. the higher intensity emotional states are certainly useful at times. and, yes, i can raise and lower them at will (it's the same kind of thing that actors do, right?). i prefer to coax them into low to medium intensity ranges, but i can spur them to maximum levels, too--but it makes me uncomfortable to lose my mind like that.

i did stumble upon a practical application, though. i very much dislike the dentist's needle (any needle poke, really). i found that if i raised a moderate level of anger beforehand that the shock/pain of the needle was greatly lessened! it made me consider that "angry people" may have unconsciously happened upon the same realization that i had in the dentist's chair: anger mitigates pain. and, therefore, therapies meant to make people less angry may well increase the intensity of their experience of pain. i don't like to use the word, "suffering", in this context because by my understanding of the language "suffering" is a generic term; that is, we can suffer joy as well as sorrow. "suffering" is simply "experiencing", or "allowing".

another gem from the dentist's chair, if i might. at 18 years of age i was fairly adept at self-hypnosis. they were going to charge me almost $100 for the two syringes of novacain they thought would be necessary to drill an eyetooth for filling. i was on my own and didn't want to spend the bucks, so i asked for five minutes by myself in the chair to prepare the requisite trance state. it was a fascinating experience! vivid color patterns danced about in my mind as the drilling proceeded. there was sensation, but no pain whatsoever--unless i began to lose my concentration on my relaxation. as soon as my facial muscles began to tense pain began quickly to rise. then i'd re-relax the muscles and i was back to the light show in my head. a few times, when the sensation was particularly strong, i'd see a bolt of red shoot from the area of the tooth over the top of my head and down the back of my head to my neck. when it was over and i opened my eyes, a young dental assistant, who had been sitting at my feet the whole time, was looking at me like she'd seen a ghost. ah, memories...