Collectively, feelings are an innate, survival protecting device, experienced as a language independent, perpetual component of consciousness, that functions by instantaneously determining the subjective appeal (on an attractive to repulsive continuum) of the perceived present reality, then triggering the corresponding physiological and behavioral responses.
Note that ‘feelings’ are experienced in the context of the Self, such that in the context of the physical-self feelings are referred to as (physical) ‘sensations’ and in the context of the non-physical (mental or psychological) self feelings are referred to as ’emotions’.