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It is common for people to experience very moving situations (sad movies, etc) and have a physical reaction to it (such as crying). I am curious about how emotions can physically lead to the act of crying. Why/how does this happen? What is the mechanism?

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    $\begingroup$ Can you please clarify this question, and also support your assertion with a little bit of the background reading you've done about it? $\endgroup$
    – anongoodnurse
    Feb 6, 2015 at 1:48
  • $\begingroup$ @anongoodnurse Many questions about biology are so obvious from the human perspective, that no reading should be asked. $\endgroup$
    – Rodrigo
    Aug 9, 2016 at 4:31

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When we are sad, our emotions are in an overdrive and the parasympathetic nervous system triggers lacrimation i.e. tears, and we cry.

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  • $\begingroup$ Great succinct answer for a vague topic. $\endgroup$
    – James
    Feb 7, 2015 at 15:39
  • $\begingroup$ You're only answering the proximal (physiologic) why, i.e. the mechanism. What about the distal (evolutionary) why? $\endgroup$
    – Rodrigo
    Aug 9, 2016 at 4:29

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