todayichooselove.com

In the winter issue (#21) of Shift Magazine (http://www.noetics.org/publications/magazine.cfm), a publication of the Institute of Noetic Science, there are three fascinating - and I think related - tidbits in the “Research Roundup” section.

From an Ohio State University press release (August 2998):
“We’re finding that hope is consistently associated with fewer symptoms of depression [in older adults],” says Jennifer Cheavens, assistant professor of psychology at the university. The reserachers characterized hope as “having a pathway to get what you want, and the motivation and strength to follow that path.”

From a University of California at Los Angeles press release (July 2008):
An 8-week program teaching mindfulness meditation to HIV/AIDS patients was initially found to stop the decline in CD4 T cells, the cells that are attacked by HIV. They defined mindfulness meditation as “the practice of bringing an open and receptive awareness to the present moment, instead of thinking about the past or worrying about the future.”

From Science News (October 2008):
“Our data suggests that religious belief alters the brain in a way that changes how a person responds to pain,” says Oxford neuroscientist Irene Tracey. Devout Catholics in a study reported feeling peaceful and secure, as well as thinking about compassion and other religious concepts, while viewing a picture of the Virgin Mary. They related that image as especially helpful in coping with pain.

I see that these three research projects have at least one thing in common. Hope, mindfulness, and religious and spiritual practices are all a choice, and the choice is to focus on Love and compassion rather than on fear, worry, or pain.

These studies offer more evidence to the rapidly growing body of research that supports what we already know somewhere in our collective consciousness: choosing fear is de-constructive to our health, and Choosing Love is good for us.

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 1st, 2009 at 3:23 pm and is filed under A Sign of the Times, Ripped From the Headlines, Snippets and Tidbits. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.