Minding the Body, Mending the Mind

Some Emotions Are Risky

Researchers work to understand the roots of stress and the seemingly magical mind-body connection that enables hypnosis, acupuncture and other techniques to help people. The new interdisciplinary field of “psychoneuroimmunology” (PNI) explores the triggers and interactions that cascade stress reactions through the body’s organs and immune system. Feelings and emotions can directly affect “the body’s ability to defend itself and to function optimally in response to the continually changing moment-by-moment demands of life.”

Your feelings matter to your body. Studies show that depressed people are more susceptible to heart disease and other medical conditions. Inflammation is the immune systems’ response to many threats and it is known that chronic inflammation can cause ill health. When people feel helpless, their biochemistry suffers and, in turn, this erodes their sense of well-being. By contrast, people who feel able to influence their world positively understand that change is to be expected. They are meaningfully engaged with life, and more psychologically and physically resilient. People are conditioned to respond to unpleasant tasks with...