A long running study by the prestigious Mayo Clinic has shown that on average, being optimistic can add more than seven years to a life – four years more than if a cure for cancer was found.
The Mayo Clinic researchers discovered that those with the highest optimism ranking had a 19% better chance of still being alive.
Other than restricted calorie intake, no other single protocol has been able to produce such significant results.
If you are a pessimistic person, then do not worry, with a few simple daily exercises you can change your mind to a more optimistic one in a matter of weeks.
This study was discussed a long with other fascinating research in a BBC documentary last night which investigated the science behind people’s personalities and whether it was possible to change them.
The presenter Michael Mosley, who has suffered with chronic insomnia for the past 20 years, explained how he wanted to become a ‘warmer, happier person and to sleep better’.
Michael Mosley had his brain tested at Essex University by Professor Elaine Fox, a leading researcher into the science of optimism.
You could see quite clearly from the results that Michael Mosley’s brain had far more activity on the right side of the brain, but over the course of 7 weeks following some simple meditation and optimism boosting exercises his brain brain activity had become more equalised – a strong indicator he had become more optimistic.
The meditation excercise involved sitting in a quiet place and focusing on physical sensations, such as the weight of his body or breathing, for 20 minutes.
He met a former monk who told him about the ancient art of mindfulness, a form of meditation. The monk said said that everyone could benefit from taking ten to 20 minutes out of each day to cut off from the outside world and ‘live in the moment’.
The trick was to start doing this exercise for ten minutes, then build up to 20 minutes each time.
Eventually the technique enables the person to let their thoughts come and go freely without ruminating on them.
The second exercise involved looking at a screen showing 15 blank or angry faces, and one smiley face.
Mr Mosley had to spot the smiling face and click on it. A new set of faces then appeared.
The idea behind the excerise was to train his brain to look for positive images. By regularly doing this, it is thought the brain learns to tune into positive thoughts more easily.
Click here to take Professor Elaine Fox’s optimism test and do her special brain training exercise
After seven weeks, Mr Mosley felt his mood lifting, he started sleeping better and felt more optimistic.
How To Do Mindfulness Meditation Using Trypnaural Audios
Mindfulness, a form or meditation, is an ancient practice that involves focusing a person’s awareness and attention but at the same time maintaining a sense of calmness and relaxation.
Try working this exercise into your routine each day for 10 minutes and slowly build up to 20 if you want to try and change your mindset.
You can use a trypnaural meditation session as a background to this exercise and to get into the alpha level where the power of meditation works best.
- Before directing your mind towards the anxiety or negative thought you are experiencing, focus on your breathing – the sensation of air slowly flowing into your nostrils, streaming down the back of your throat and into your lungs.
- Breathe deeply from your abdomen for a count of 4 seconds, then breathe out for a count of 6 seconds, and hold your breath out for 2 seconds. Repeat this process for around 10 times and this will switch off your sympathetic nervous system and put you in a calm relaxed alpha state.
- Feel the beating of your heart and imagine how it pumps oxygenated blood around your body. Continue until you’re ready to meditate.
- Now, shift your attention to your anxious thoughts. What thoughts are present in your mind right now? Are there many moving quickly or does each one remain for a while? Consider the thoughts objectively rather than reacting to them emotionally.
- There’s a myth that when you meditate, you should have a blank mind. But thoughts are not the enemy and trying to stop them will only lead to more struggle.
- Treat the thoughts during meditation like having a radio on in the background – you can hear it, but your main focus is elsewhere. In mindfulness, you’re paying attention to the fact that you have a thought but you are not buying into what it is saying.
- Try not to judge the thought as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Cultivate an attitude of equanimity to whatever goes through your mind. Watch your thoughts with curiosity and kindness and they will become easier to bear.
- Whenever you notice your mind is wandering, acknowledge that it has meandered and gently bring your attention back to observing your thoughts.
- Continue working with your worries in this way for the period of time you have chosen. Working mindfully can be challenging, so it’s good to practise for short periods at first.
- You may feel dizzy when you start but that’s because you’ve suddenly stopped spinning around in circles. In the stillness of meditation, it can also seem as if you have more thoughts than usual but this is not so: it is just that you are becoming more aware of them. The more you practise, the more your mind can deal with worries in a less panicked way.
To Watch The BBC Documentary Click Here (may not work in some countries)
Special Brain Optimization Meditation By Richard Learmont
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Its just so wonderful exprience thankyou so much.
As a 30 year old Personal Empowerment Coach, I bought a guitar! I was teaching people that they could live their dreams as Les Brown and Jack Canfield had taught me.
My “friends?” said that I was too old to learn! At 31 using the power of self induced brainwave entrainment, I performed at a private party for Cat Stevens! He said that I had something to say! He also suggested that I change friends and keep the guitar! My music helps people move from where they are to where they want to be!
” We live in daily friction
of Cosmic contradiction
and all of our afflictions
are emotional addictions.
In daily superstition
of self imposed restrictions ,
so Physician Heal Thy Self! ” Copyrighted 1990 by Wm. D. Burton
Wow! Simple to understand and practice!
It is soothing, simplifying, sensitizing, stirring, strengthening, stimulating and scintillating.