SimplyNumbers

Rejection shown to have physical impact

According to new research reported on at Science Daily, social rejection upsets your heart. When you feel rejected, your heart rate drops for a brief time.

Researchers, Bregtje Gunther Moor, Eveline A. Crone, and Maurits W. van der Molen of the University of Amsterdam and Leiden University in the Netherlands were interested in discovering the ways in which social pain can actually affect you on a physical level. 

In the study individual participants were shown photos of unknown people who had rated whether or not they liked the participants, based on the participants own photos. Surprisingly, the participants heart rates fell in anticipation before they found out how they were rated by others.

"Unexpected social rejection could literally feel 'heartbreaking,' as reflected by a transient slowing of heart rate," conclude the researchers in their report.

New study finds new connection between yoga and mood.

Music could help treat emotional and physical pain

“The impact of a piece of music on a person goes so much further than thinking that a fast tempo can lift a mood and a slow one can bring it down. Music expresses emotion as a result of many factors." ~ Dr. Don Knox, Glasgow University

Exciting and interesting new music research about the ways in which music conveys emotion could help with the treatment of various types of emotional or physical pain. A team, lead by Dr. Knox, has already carried out a detailed audio analysis of various pieces of music, with a panel of volunteers, who helped to identify the emotionality of the music. The goal of the research is to develop a formula that will be able to explain the full emotionality of music, and how emotion is communicated through the music.

You can read more about their work at TheNakedScientists. Host, Sarah Castor-Perry talked with the researchers involved with the music research to find out more

Exploring the love drug, joy and sex

Valerie Frankel, of Oprah.com, has posted an article titled ‘Exploring the love drug, joy and sex’. It’s primarily about understanding and enjoying the initial feelings that come with falling in love. It seems like we’ll need these emotions and feelings forever. The author talks about how she feels she is limerent, which is describes an involuntary state, cognitive or emotional, of deeply intense romantic desire for someone else.

Ms. Frankel interviews Dorothy Tennov, Ph.D and Helen Fischer Ph.D on the subject of limerence and love. They both feel that the feeling of limerence will last between 2 to 3 years, but they also state that it can last for longer periods of time. The experts discuss how relationships flow into different stages in which our feelings change and fluctuate. And, Fischer says, "My point is that relationships can be fluid. You can flow from one stage to another if you're able to put energy and attention into the relationship," she says.

Indeed, I can see in my own relationships that limerence can be part of a give-and-take within the relationship. Usually, as I get to know a woman it is a powerful initial feeling, especially when I was younger. But, I feel that a solid, healthy and growing relationship trades its limerent feelings for more fully developed relationship bonds. It’s about knowing and fully honoring the other person, and owning and taking responsibility for the shadow traits and characteristics that you have placed on that person.

The more you can truly honor the other person for who he or she really is, then the more you can develop a real and lasting relationship with them. Working with a tool like the Enneagram can be of great benefit here, because it helps us to understand the motivations behind our desires and actions. Other relationship tools, like Relationship Discussion groups, can serve as important guides in your relationships as well.

Working with affirmations

Today, many people have a deep interest in learning about affirmations. Working with affirmations can be useful to help you to begin to change and eliminate the limiting beliefs. However, when working with affirmations it may be best to create your own.

You should approach the writing of an affirmation from a reinforcing and positive perspective. Always, keep a positive spin on the focus of your affirmation. Negative statements tend to keep our minds focused on what you have now, rather than helping you to see and feel your potential. For a glimpse of this you can examine your internal, negative self-talk. A positive a healthy statement will be one that helps you to feel as if you already have achieved your statement and lessen the power of your critical self-talk.

For instance, you may want to affirm “I am healthy, strong and vital”, rather than affirming “I will be healthy one day.” The first statement is positive, uplifting and can help you to step into the feeling of being vibrant and well. The second statement pushes off these feelings.

Being persistent with your affirmations will help you to achieve a desirable outcome much sooner than if you only practiced periodically. However, you should know that an affirmation is not a cure all. For example, say you may have an affirmation to feel better about your weight, but you may have to take additional steps, such as exercise and a diet change.

Ultimately, the affirmation really becomes part of a larger, life changing process. Your affirmation can enhance how you feel about what you are doing, so that you can continue to deepen, make changes, and do the necessary work.

Resources:
About.com - Using affirmations for stress management

Emotions, moods and weather

Have you ever stopped to think about how the weather can shape your mood?  I got to thinking about this with the recent tornadoes, erupting volcanoes, mudslides and earthquakes that have been in the news. These events have resonance in our hearts and minds. We feel strongly by those people who have impacted by these events, and we may feel like our world is a little out of control. It may make us feel smaller and more frail.

We continue to learn about our impact on the world around us, but how does our world, and the weather around us, actually impact our moods and emotions on a daily basis? Consider, the simple everyday effects of weather in our world. Think about how a cold rain can feel like it is soaking down into your bones, and making you feel angry, dark  or depressed. The lack of sunshine, especially in winter months, has been connected to Seasonal Affective Disorder.

In my research, I discovered the field of bioclimatology. It is the study of the relationships between climate and living things. An an example, consider that the way in which our air and water flows across the surface of the planet, will determine which plants and crops will grow in particular regions. Regions that receive little water, will eventually lose their ability to sustain life, and populations will dwindle in those regions. As the populations decrease, certain animals and plants may adapt to the changing circumstances in order to persist and survive, while others will not.

Yet, another place to start look at the connection between our lives and the weather might be to the Shamans. In  the book “ Weather Shamanism ” by Nan Moss and David Corben, these issues are addressed in depth. The book looks to identify how we can begin to be more aware of and find ways to honor the weather in our lives, so that we can bring balance in. The authors say that whether we realize it or not, we can affect the weather  through our actions, thoughts, moods and emotions.

Feelings related to events can outlast the actual memories

A new study, involving patients with amnesia, found that their emotions experienced during events outlasted the memories of the actual events.  The study was carried out by Justin Feinstein, a graduate student in neuropsychology at the University of Iowa. He deduced that our feelings might last longer than the events that were experienced, such as watching a movie or spending time with loved ones. He showed patients movie clips, and then quizzed them later about how they felt. Patients shown sad movies, would generally feel sad after the movie, even if they didn’t remember watching it.

"A simple visit or phone call from family members might have a lingering positive influence on a patient's happiness even though the patient may quickly forget the visit or phone call," Feinstein said.

This makes me wonder about the rest of us. How do normal everyday events shape our emotions? How do traumatic events shape them? How often are we emotionally impacted by an event that we think we have brushed off as unimportant? How often do we think about the emotional impact of a visit to friends, or family?