Positive Thinking

If only we could all be positive thinking people all of the time ? Thought this may be of interest..

Rewarding stimulation boosts immune system:


TWO TALES Immune cells taken from mice that had their brains’ reward systems activated (right) killed more E. coli than immune cells taken from control mice (left).

Feeling good may help the body fight germs, experiments on mice suggest. When activated, nerve cells that help signal reward also boost the mice’s immune systems, scientists report July 4 in Nature Medicine. The study links positive feelings to a supercharged immune system, results that may partially explain the placebo effect. Scientists artificially dialed up the activity of nerve cells in the ventral tegmental area — a part of the brain thought to help dole out rewarding feelings. This activation had a big effect on the mice’s immune systems, Tamar Ben-Shaanan of Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa and colleagues found. A day after the nerve cells in the ventral tegmental area were activated, mice were infected with E. coli bacteria. Later tests revealed that mice with artificially activated nerve cells had less E. coli in their bodies than mice without the nerve cell activation. Certain immune cells seemed to be ramped up, too. Monocytes and macrophages were more powerful E. coli killers after the nerve cell activation. If a similar effect is found in people, the results may offer a biological explanation for how positive thinking can influence health.

www.sciencenews.org...

I would not want to live a naive life. You realize I can find studies which show mild depression leads to more objective thoughts, and then correlate that with higher SES, which would correlate with life happiness to a point. It's a fools errand to seek a positive mindset for all of one's life. The ones I know who carried their naivety longest in their lives were most betrayed, used, thrown away, and finally settled in on reality the hard way. When they had less maliability of mind, less reserves of the body.

Dwelling is not so healthy, but positive thinking needs to be appropriated wisely. It's perfectly acceptable to allow ones self to be down. Feeling down is an incentive to adapt and grow.

originally posted by: pl3bscheese
I would not want to live a naive life. You realize I can find studies which show mild depression leads to more objective thoughts, and then correlate that with higher SES, which would correlate with life happiness to a point. It's a fools errand to seek a positive mindset for all of one's life. The ones I know who carried their naivety longest in their lives were most betrayed, used, thrown away, and finally settled in on reality the hard way. When they had less maliability of mind, less reserves of the body.

Dwelling is not so healthy, but positive thinking needs to be appropriated wisely. It's perfectly acceptable to allow ones self to be down. Feeling down is an incentive to adapt and grow.

Bravo! An excellent point, however there is a greater point. One does not accept ones thoughts randomly. One seeks to recognize that she/he can change those thoughts at will, using that will with a fine focus and create our own experience.

a reply to: HUMBLEONE

Hence, "allow ones self". I'm aware.

No yang without yin. No positive without negative.

Unless, of course, neutral is your thing.

originally posted by: skywatcher44
If only we could all be positive thinking people all of the time ? Thought this may be of interest..

Rewarding stimulation boosts immune system:

TWO TALES Immune cells taken from mice that had their brains’ reward systems activated (right) killed more E. coli than immune cells taken from control mice (left).

Feeling good may help the body fight germs, experiments on mice suggest. When activated, nerve cells that help signal reward also boost the mice’s immune systems, scientists report July 4 in Nature Medicine. The study links positive feelings to a supercharged immune system, results that may partially explain the placebo effect. Scientists artificially dialed up the activity of nerve cells in the ventral tegmental area — a part of the brain thought to help dole out rewarding feelings. This activation had a big effect on the mice’s immune systems, Tamar Ben-Shaanan of Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa and colleagues found. A day after the nerve cells in the ventral tegmental area were activated, mice were infected with E. coli bacteria. Later tests revealed that mice with artificially activated nerve cells had less E. coli in their bodies than mice without the nerve cell activation. Certain immune cells seemed to be ramped up, too. Monocytes and macrophages were more powerful E. coli killers after the nerve cell activation. If a similar effect is found in people, the results may offer a biological explanation for how positive thinking can influence health.

www.sciencenews.org...

That would be awesome! )