A mild emotion

[keannu]

1.This passage says "emotions" can help memorize a writing well, but I felt "mild emotion" is not something helpful as it's too weak to help memorizing something.
2. Does this "simply" mean just "only" or "emphatic expresson" as in "You simply must see the play"?

15)Read something frightening, sad, joyful, suspenseful, horrible, or provocative. The experience affects your sensory system, and your mind reacts with an emotional response. When your emotions are engaged, the brain codes the content you’re reading by triggering the release of chemicals that single out and mark the experience as important and meaningful. A mild emotion may give meaning to something without your having any understanding of it. Your brain can also give meaning to something you hate. It’s simply an automatic chemical process ─ you experience emotions, and they will become meaningful. In reading, you can take advantage of this phenomenon. The stronger you feel about something you read, the more likely you are to remember it and make sense out of it.

 

[Gillnetter]

1.This passage says "emotions" can help memorize a writing well, but I felt "mild emotion" is not something helpful as it's too weak to help memorizing something.
2. Does this "simply" mean just "only" or "emphatic expresson" as in "You simply must see the play"? Only

15)Read something frightening, sad, joyful, suspenseful, horrible, or provocative. The experience affects your sensory system, and your mind reacts with an emotional response. When your emotions are engaged, the brain codes the content you’re reading by triggering the release of chemicals that single out and mark the experience as important and meaningful. A mild emotion may give meaning to something without your having any understanding of it. Your brain can also give meaning to something you hate. It’s simply an automatic chemical process ─ you experience emotions, and they will become meaningful. In reading, you can take advantage of this phenomenon. The stronger you feel about something you read, the more likely you are to remember it and make sense out of it.

This is not really an English question, it is more about psychology. I don't know that there is any objective way to measure the difference between a mild emotion or a strong emotion. As to what registers in a person's mind, that is the study of psychology. You may hardly notice an airplane flying over you but if that airplane starts coming directly at you, you will pay immediate and full attention to it. You may agree or disagree with the author but this author seems to believe that even a mild emotion can bring meaning to an experience.