Are we truly as old as we think we are? Research shows that we help ourselves to grow old by affirming the belief that we are older in a self-fulfilling prophesy. In a research study conducted some years ago by the well-regarded Harvard psychologist, Ellen Langer, several elderly celebrities were provided with a living environment for a week that created the experience of living 20 years earlier, complete with food, films, and photos from the period. The group discussed news, politics, and sports in the present tense, as if they were living at a younger point in their lives. Amazingly, the group exhibited signs that they had actually become physically and psychologically younger. Hearing, grip strength, and manual dexterity had improved. Memory and IQ scores as well. Actively engaging their minds oriented to a point 20 years younger, their bodies behaved accordingly. It seems that our bodies dont act alone in growing old and infirm. Our minds are key component too, and when we accept the labels of aging, we become old. Conversely, our minds can also determine that we are young and we become young. Today, take an extra moment to look around at the older folks you encounter and reflect on whether they seem to have accepted and reaffirmed aging, or instead retained a youthful mind that shines through. Then think about your own state of mind.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 11:58:25 +0000
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