http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-case-for-happy-thoughts.html
The Case for Happy Thoughts
Adapted from Creating Health, by Deepak Chopra (Houghton Miffin Company, 1987).
Angry, hostile thoughts bring about rapid heartbeat, a rise in blood pressure, and flushing of the face, among other changes. Anxious thoughts can also speed up the heart and raise blood pressure, as well as induce tremor of the hand, cold sweat, a knotted stomach, and a pervasive weakening, as when we say a person is “sick with dread.”
Different kinds of thoughts must produce chemical changes in the brain in order to account for such physical manifestations. To quote one researcher, “There is no twisted thought without a twisted molecule.”
Likewise, happy thoughts of all kinds, loving thoughts, thoughts of peace and tranquility, of compassion, friendliness, kindness, generosity, affection, warmth, and intimacy each produce a corresponding state of physiology via the flux of neurotransmitters and hormones in the central nervous system.
The profound physiological changes that happy thoughts induce lead to good health because the neuro-transmitters that mediate them in the body have a stimulating effect. If, as we have seen, the body’s immune system is weakened by feelings of anger, apathy, enmity, resentment, conflict and gloom, then happy thought patterns should serve to increase the body’s resistance to disease through a similar, but reversed effect.
For thoughts to be capable of curing, they must be innocently held and sincerely believed in over a period of time, because the longer the curative thought patterns influence the appropriate neuro-transmitters, the more neuro-transmitters can influence the physiology of the brain.
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13 comments
add your comment »"...attitude of gratitude has a multitude of benefits." Hey, I like that.
Dr. Chopra, thank you so much. What you have written is the main reason many of my past acquaintances have been placed on "call block", and cannot even access my telephone line. I look forward to knowing more about Creating Health, no doubt, it works.
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Positive thinking and Release of negative emotions is beginning to work for me. After 58 years of life and lots of suffering, I am ready to lose the pain and negativity. However, what advice is there for a young person (22) who has had a life of problems, pain, isolation (six years now of being virtually housebound), defeat after defeat in her efforts to extricate herself and "have a life"? She is extremely cynical now,(as well as sciker from her 16 years of chronic Lyme disease which has neurologically damaged her) and depressed to the point of not wishing to live, but will not act on it because of what it would do to family members.
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Dr. Chopra:
You made my day!!!! You can't imagine the change in the energy of my home. It is a place of more harmony, more love, everyone that come into my kitchen (visitors) they end up hugging. Coples that are usually reserved are hugging and laughing after sitting around the table and helping prepare the meal. It is so amazing how a few caring words can change the life of so many. Your words have changed our life.
Loving wishes!
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Laughter is great, it's like rising above the appearance of things. But even by simply detaching one self from a problem, being aware of the problem, yet not identifying ourselves with the problem, can bring about a change of the problem even before it manifests in our body.
I see all problems as an opportunity for removing beliefs that keep me from experiencing a life of Love, Joy and Peace.
I seek the belief behind a problem. If I didn't believe it...I could not see it. Bringing the belief consciously to my awareness without any judgment, removes it and I won't have to experience it again : )
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This is true.. for over a year now, I started to reprogramme myself, to be carefree, enjoy and find humour in everything I go thru... It has helped tremendously... I am a much healthier person now... laughter does help... a lot.
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Health certainly is a seamless connection between body, mind, and spirit. I wholeheartedly believe "As I think, so shall I be"
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I have been through ALOT ,and focus only on negative thoughts...Your wonderful advice is taken to heart ...I will be Thinking myself into health Starting Now ..thankyou Dr.....
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Thank you all for the inspiration. I want to be full of joy, i live in a place that is difficult to find it. I realize i have to look even deeper in myself for my own joy. Thank you again for teh inspiration!
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I have found for me and the people that I work with that an attitude of gratitude has a multitude of benefits. I suggest they journal what they are grateful for at the end of every day.
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The Happy Virus - Hafiz
I caught the happy virus last night
When I was out singing beneath the stars.
It is remarkably contagious -
So Kiss me
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