The various thoughts and emotions of the manas are manifested through the six consciousnesses.

Nowadays, quite a few people in society suffer from a depressed mental state, and even middle school students have developed depression. Most of this problem belongs to karmic issues, while a small portion belongs to personal causes and conditions. The main symptom of depression is an inner closed-off state: no communication with others, inability to express one's inner thoughts well, a gloomy and uncheerful mood. With such a mental state, the mind consciousness is often at a loss, not knowing why one feels so gloomy. This is caused by the manas's mental state being blocked and not flowing smoothly.

Because the manas has thoughts and emotions that cannot be vented, no one understands its ideas and views, and it may not even know how to find someone to talk to or ask for help, no one can offer guidance. At the same time, it cannot communicate with its own mind consciousness; since the mind consciousness does not understand, the problem cannot be resolved, and that is when the manas develops depression. For many people, the root cause is a karmic issue—the events the manas experienced in past lives and the retributive results that should be received for the karmic actions committed.

As for personal causes and conditions, depression arises when wishes in the mind cannot be realized, or when the environment cannot satisfy one's psychological needs. People with depression share a common characteristic: they think much but do little, so their ideas cannot be realized and their minds cannot be satisfied. Too many unfulfilled thoughts pile up and become a burden, and depression appears. Depression is also called "frustrated ambition"—having all kinds of desires yet being unable to fulfill them, leading to low spirits and a gloomy, oppressive mood.

Some people develop a feeling of being at a loss, with no one to rely on, and thoughts of not wanting to live. This too is led by the emotions of the manas; what the mind consciousness displays is precisely the mental activity of the manas. Being at a loss means the six consciousnesses do not know what to do or how to act, because the manas cannot make up its mind, hesitates, and refuses to make a decision and give the command, so the six consciousnesses become panicked. When the six consciousnesses express and reflect the manas's thoughts and emotions, it is the six consciousnesses' panic—without a backbone, without a sense of belonging—so one feels life is meaningless and no longer wants to live.

When emotions are agitated, the heartbeat quickens; this is likewise caused by the emotions of the manas. For example, "anger rises from the heart, and malice grows at the side of the gallbladder"—this is a manifestation of the manas becoming angry and giving rise to malice. The heart, the gallbladder, and all the five viscera and six bowels are mobilized by the manas through the brain and nervous system; the entire physical body is mobilized by the manas through the brain and nervous system. The manas can control the whole body and guide its activities. When the mind consciousness is angry but the manas is not, it is feigned anger: no matter how angry, there is no reaction in the heart and no reaction in behavior, or if there is behavior, it is merely pretending and putting on an act. When there is real anger, there will be behavioral activity and changes in the state of body and mind—this is the emotion of the manas.