Our minds are extremely powerful, if not, the most powerful life changing forces in the world.
There is no limit to what our minds are capable of, and there are studies to back this fact up. When it comes to the power of the mind the possibilities are literally endless as the brain is the one organ in the body that science and medicine know the least about. While plenty is known about the liver, the kidneys and the heart, the secrets and mysteries of the brain are yet to be discovered fully.
Nevertheless, the following seven studies highlight some very interesting things about the mind, how it works and what it’s capable of:
1. Visualization creates results
Visualization is the formation of mental images, and the recreation of all the images, sounds and feelings in your mind.
Study: Psychologist Alan Richardson set out to prove the power of visualization through an experiment where a group of basketball players were split into three groups, and the intent was to demonstrate the effectiveness of visualization in how the players converted free throws.
Groups: The first group practiced 20 minutes everyday, the the second group visualized themselves making free throws, but did not participate in practice, and the third group did not practice free throws or visualization.
Results: Only the group that visualized demonstrated marked improvement, and were nearly as accurate as the players that actually practiced.
2. Smiling improves mood
Known as the Facial Feedback Hypothesis, scientists have known for a long time that changing your body through smiling, relaxing, and sitting up straight are followed by positive emotional responses.
Study: In the late 1980’s, researchers did not want to reveal that the study was about smiling or emotion, fearing that it could alter the results. So they improved through the use of a pencil, and here’s what they did:
Groups: The first group held the pencil horizontally in their mouth, between their teeth, which physically forced them to smile. The second group held the pencil horizontally in their mouth using only their lips, which did not force a smile and only caused a frown. The third group (control group) simply held the pencil in their hands.
Results: When the participants were asked to view different cartoons and rated them on how funny they were, the 1st (“smile” group) gave the cartoons much funnier ratings than the second (“frown” group), or even the third (“holding pencil” group).
3. The brain can produce serotonin on it’s own
Serotonin is an essential brain chemical because it increases will power, delays gratification, and increases attention to detail.
Your brain can produce serotonin in three ways:
- Sunlight- It contains UV light, which when absorbed through the skin produces Vitamin D, promoting the production of serotonin.
- Massage- One particular study focused on pregnant women, and the women that received massages twice a week from their partner boosted their serotonin levels by 30%.
- Exercise- Exercise is an effective and well-known method to increase endorphin levels.
4. Thought management lowers stress
Study: Author Don Joseph Goeway, who also managed the department of psychiatry at Stanford University and assisted parents in dealing with the loss of a child, is a master in the stress department. He developed the most simple and practical way to eliminate fearful thoughts and escalating stress as any method before. Goeway calls it the Clear Button, which works by distracting the primitive brain where fear is known to reside.
Clear Button steps:
- Imagine that there is a button in the center of your left palm; imagine that this button, when pressed, will send a signal to your brain to stop the fearful thinking.
- Press the button with your right hand as you become aware of your breath.
- Take three easy breaths counting them out.
- Imagine a different color for each number.
- As you exhale, relax in the present moment.
5. Positivity and meditation prolongs life
Study: In 1989, Dr. David Spiegel of Stanford University did a study consisting of 86 women in the late stages of breast cancer.
Groups: There were two groups: one group received only prescribed medical care, and the other group was given weekly support sessions in addition to the medical care. During these weekly sessions, patients shared their feelings, socialized with other patients and had a positive environment in which to cope with their illness.
Results: It was discovered that women in the support group survived twice as long as those that did not. And a similar study in 1999 found that cancer patients who have general feelings of helplessness and hopelessness have a lower chance of survival.
6. People can “think” their way to releasing weight
I know what you’re thinking..”this sounds crazy.” But here’s the science:
Study: The experiment involved a Harvard psychologist named Langer and a group of mostly overweight hotel maids. Despite exceeding the recommended amount of exercise, 67% of the maids did not consider themselves physically active. Langer predicted that the maid’s viewpoints on their physical activity were making it difficult for them to lose weight.
Groups: Langer gathered half of the maids and took their physical measurements and explained that they were exceeding the amount of exercise recommended by the surgeon general. The other half were given no information.
Results: After a month, Langer’s team returned to the hotel for reevaluation. The maids that were evaluated and given information had a decrease in systolic blood pressure, weight, and waist-to-hip ratio. The other group’s results were insignificant. Langer attributes these physical benefits to a simple change in mindset.
7. The Placebo effect
Placebos are pills, medications, or procedures that are prescribed only for the psychological benefit of the patient.
Researchers are discovering that placebos are at times more effective than the actual medication, which leaves those in the pharmaceutical industry worried. Prozac, a commonly prescribed antidepressant, along with other prescription drugs are often proven less effective than placebos, which as a result has led the industry to engage in other neurological studies to either refute or safeguard their products from common placebos.
[Featured Image Credit: paulkiritsis.net]
7 Incredible Studies That Prove The Power Of The Mind is a post from: LifeDaily