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Thomas Dixon

Thomas Dixon is director of the Centre for the History of the Emotions at Queen Mary University of London. His latest book is The Invention of Altruism (2008).

Written by Thomas Dixon

Black and white photo of a close-up of a woman’s eyes, with fake glass tears on her face, emphasising long eyelashes.

essayConsciousness and altered states

The waterworks

Tears of sorrow, tears of joy, tears of incontinence or of ecstasy. Crying must mean something – but what?

Thomas Dixon