Can We Reverse Aging? The Astonishing Power Of The Human Mind

The human mind has always been an object of great astonishment. A tremendous amount of research has been done to understand the functioning and power of the brain. Scientists have pushed the boundaries of possibilities and have introduced us to facts that have left us flabbergasted.

In the year 1981, renowned Harvard social psychologist Ellen Langer conducted one such study (subscription required). She was on a mission to test that if we could turn the clock back psychologically, could we also turn it back physically? She was going to test whether our attitude, beliefs and mindset played a role in our physical health, more specifically, in our aging process.

She invited eight men in their late 70s to live in a residential retreat for seven days. The environment was recreated to match the socio-physical environment of the year 1959. The men were asked to talk, feel and pretend as if they were living in the era when they were in their prime.

Upon arrival at the retreat, the men were asked to carry their own luggage, no matter how heavy it was. Some stooped while others used canes while walking. No assistance was provided as they entered their new home. They all went through various tests that measured their physical and mental functions, including cognition, memory, flexibility, hearing and vision.

The home had no mirrors and only contained portraits from their younger days. They were welcomed by Ed Sullivan on a black and white television. All the books and magazines were from the year 1959. The radio played oldie favorites such as Perry Como and Jack Benny. Twice a day, researchers led discussions on topics like the need for bomb shelters to protect the country against Soviet Powers, Castro’s advance in Havana, and other topics that were popular in that era.

Participants were asked to speak about all these events using the present tense as if they were living it now. They were playing out this “as if” scenario and not merely thinking about it.

As the study neared its end, participants improved in all parameters they were tested on in the beginning. The man who came in on a wheelchair walked out with a cane. Another man who couldn’t wear his socks unassisted hosted the final evening dinner party. On the second to last day, men who looked frail and weak were playing touch football on the lawn. Improvements were marked on parameters of physical strength, hearing, vision, IQ, gait, posture, dexterity, memory, decreased symptoms of arthritis and overall well-being. The intelligence score was significantly higher for 63% of the participants. Langer later said, “Wherever you put the mind, you are necessarily putting the body.”

With her study, Langer offered us the following learnings:

1. Setting the right perception of ourselves and our environment is crucial.

2. Our mindset has a much greater impact on our health and aging than we believe.

3. By changing our mindset, we can bring a lot of change to our overall well-being.

4. As we grow old, loss of memory and good health may be avoidable.

Hence we understand that our mindset and self-perception has a tremendous impact on us. As a coach with clients who face various challenges, in almost all cases, the top priority is bringing a shift in perception and creating a state of well-being.

Now the question is: How do we put the above-mentioned learning into action?

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Read the whole story (subscription may be required): Forbes