The Domains of Disgust

To look for disgust in Christianity, you have to know what to look for. Science has discovered several 'domains' of disgust, or types of things that disgust us. And here they are.

The first sort of domains are Core Domains. These are the "oral-centered" domains that suggest the threat of contamination through oral intake, such as rotting foods, waste products, and animals associated with decaying food and waste products (e.g. cockroaches, rats, and flies).

In sum, Food, Animal, and Body Products are the Core Domains of disgust.

The next sort of domains are those that remind us of our animal nature. This is disgust that people experience when confronted with stimuli that serves as a reminder that their bodies, like those of animals, are fragile and susceptible to mortal physical threats.

The Animal Disgust Domains are Sex, Hygiene, Body Envelope Violations, and Death.

Disgust can also be experienced through contact with possessions used by strange or disliked persons or evoked by immoral people or actions. This is Interpersonal Disgust and Moral Disgust.

The next Domain is Sympathetic Magic. This domain is ruled by magical thinking. In this domain, ANYTHING can become disgusting just by virtue of its contact or similarity to one of the above domains.

All of these disgust reactions help us in some way. But there is also a time when these disgust reactions go too far, twisting our world into a lie. Can you think of a disgust reaction that you had that made no sense, or was absolutely false?