There are moments in life that steal your breath and replace it with warmth. A child runs into their parent’s arms after a long separation. A friend quietly sits beside you when you don’t have the strength to speak. A stranger helps someone in need, not for recognition, but simply because they can. These moments don’t require explanation. They transcend language. And when they happen, they stir something deep within—the lump in your throat, the shiver down your spine, the sudden tears.
In English, we call it being “moved” or “touched” or “heartwarmed.” But these are just attempts to name a timeless, universal emotion—one that psychologists are now beginning to understand more deeply, and more scientifically. It turns out this experience is not only real, but vital. Its name? Kama Muta, an ancient Sanskrit term meaning “moved by love.”
Where Warmth Becomes Science
Though the emotion itself is ancient, the science surrounding it is young. Kama Muta has only recently entered the vocabulary of researchers studying emotional connection, but it quickly became a fascinating subject. It isn’t just a feeling—it’s a full emotional episode. One that affects the body, the brain, and behavior all at once.
People who experience Kama Muta often describe similar sensations: warmth in the chest, misty eyes, goosebumps, a swelling sense of closeness. These aren’t poetic flourishes. They are measurable physiological changes tied to moments of deep relational resonance. It’s a surge of emotional energy sparked by sudden closeness—like a window opening between two people, even if only for a moment.
Scientists now believe this emotion is triggered by a key relational ingredient: a sudden increase in social connection. That’s what makes it so powerful during things like reunions, declarations of love, or acts of kindness. But new research shows that one of the most reliable ways to experience Kama Muta might be even simpler than any grand gesture.
It begins with listening.
The Unexpected Power of Truly Being Heard
Listening is often considered a passive act—something you do while waiting to speak. But when done with care, it becomes something else entirely. According to Kenneth DeMarree, Ph.D., a psychologist at the University at Buffalo, listening with presence, empathy, and without judgment can create the emotional conditions necessary for Kama Muta to arise.
His team set out to investigate this connection, not with vague anecdotes, but with rigorous experimentation. Across three separate studies, they found consistent patterns: high-quality listening leads to deeper emotional responses—for both the speaker and the listener.
When someone listens in a way that shows they genuinely care—paying attention, accepting what is said without interruption or judgment, and seeking to understand rather than to fix—they create a safe space. In that space, something extraordinary can happen. Walls come down. Stories unfold. And hearts move closer.
What emerges isn’t just a satisfying conversation. It’s Kama Muta.
Measuring What Moves Us
In the first of their studies, researchers asked people to imagine discussing a deeply personal regret with someone who either listened attentively or dismissively. Even in hypothetical scenarios, participants who imagined being listened to well reported stronger feelings of warmth and closeness, as well as the physical and emotional hallmarks of Kama Muta.
In a second study, participants reflected on real conversations from their lives—moments where either they or someone else had shared something meaningful with another person. Again, the quality of listening during those conversations predicted the depth of emotional impact.
The third study brought the lab to life. Pairs of people engaged in actual, meaningful conversations, and then reported on the experience. The results again showed a powerful relationship: the better one person listened, the more the other felt moved, connected, and willing to open up further.
There were a few nuances. In the live conversation study, speakers didn’t always report the full spectrum of physiological symptoms, like chills or teary eyes, that defined Kama Muta in the imagined or remembered conversations. But the emotional closeness—the heart of the experience—was still present and measurable.
What Listening Actually Does to Relationships
What makes listening such a potent emotional trigger? It may be that listening acts as a mirror that reflects back not only what’s said, but the value of the person saying it. It affirms: “You matter. Your experience matters. I’m here with you.”
That affirmation can transform a mundane interaction into a moment of genuine human intimacy. It can turn a brief conversation into the foundation of a long-term bond. And this isn’t just speculation—it’s rooted in the mechanics of how the brain processes social closeness.
When someone listens with sincerity, the speaker naturally shares more. This deepening of vulnerability is not just good for the conversation—it alters the way people feel about each other. According to DeMarree, “Listening allows us to go deeper in a conversation, which can lead to a greater degree of closeness. Greater Kama Muta.”
That deepening doesn’t fade when the conversation ends. It lingers. People who feel heard become more willing to maintain and strengthen their relationships. They’re more likely to trust, to cooperate, to forgive. In this way, good listening becomes a powerful social glue—an invisible thread that weaves people together, one conversation at a time.
The Anatomy of a Heartwarming Moment
Researchers identify five key components of a Kama Muta experience. While not every moment contains all five, the most intense episodes usually do. It begins with a rise in communal closeness—a sudden sense that “we” are more connected than before. This closeness often brings a rush of positive emotions: affection, joy, or tenderness.
Physically, the body often responds in surprisingly consistent ways. A warm sensation in the chest. Goosebumps. A lump in the throat. Moist eyes. These are not symptoms of sadness, but rather signs of a powerful, life-affirming connection.
Emotionally, people experiencing Kama Muta often feel compelled to act—to hug, to thank, to help, to build. These impulses point to the final aspect: a renewed commitment to the relationship. Whether it’s a friendship, romantic connection, or family bond, the desire to nurture it intensifies.
Lastly, people often label these experiences in strikingly similar ways across languages and cultures. They describe feeling moved, touched, heartwarmed. They may not know the term “Kama Muta,” but they recognize the moment all the same.
Why It Matters Now More Than Ever
In an age where digital noise often drowns out genuine connection, the findings from DeMarree’s team land with striking relevance. Many people are starved for meaningful interaction, even as they scroll through feeds filled with “likes” and emojis. But a like is not the same as listening. A heart emoji is not the same as being heard.
The research suggests that what people long for—what helps us feel human—is not constant attention, but attentive presence. Not distraction, but devotion in the moment.
High-quality listening doesn’t require degrees, wealth, or status. It asks only that we be present, curious, and kind. And through that simple act, we create opportunities for Kama Muta—for those soul-stirring moments when the heart awakens to its deepest truths.
Toward a More Moved World
The science of Kama Muta is still unfolding. But already, it holds profound implications for therapy, education, conflict resolution, and daily life. It tells us that transformation doesn’t always begin with grand gestures. Sometimes, it starts with listening—really listening.
Next time someone shares something with you, pause. Let go of your impulse to respond, advise, or judge. Instead, lean in with empathy. Let them know that they are seen, and heard, and accepted.
You may not realize it at the time, but you might be giving them something rare. You might be moving them. You might be changing them. You might be creating a moment—silent, sacred, and unforgettable.
A moment of Kama Muta.
Reference: Dvori Saluk et al, Harmonizing hearts: High-quality listening and Kama Muta among listeners and speakers, Emotion (2025). DOI: 10.1037/emo0001555. psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-31812-001