Mind Powers Activate!

[Leonardo322]

I needed a catchy title. Kind of like something that might be said on Super Friends. I read a book that implies that our thoughts have a major impact on our physical health. Can my thoughts really have such an impact? The idea or theory or whatever you want to call it, is that bad thoughts cause bad chemicals to be released in the body. I heard a news report that some bad diseases are either from genetics or for lack of a better term, bad luck. I know bad thoughts are bad, but I don't know how much of an impact they make on the body. Might be a lot, might be a little.

[Ravenshell]

Well, keeping a positive outlook is certainly beneficial... Think about how the presence of a companion animal affects elderly folks for the better. Think about how some people have willed themselves to live, or die. Think about the old folks that die right after retiring from a lifelong career, because they no longer have a function. Think about the guy who can run barefoot over ice and snow for hours, because he somehow wills his circulation to keep warming his feet. (not even kidding.) Your brain controls everything in your body, and it is possible to influence its function... so by being negative, whether it's your intent or not, you can negatively affect yourself.

[pennydreadful]

Well, you are correct that stress will release specific hormones in the body, which in turn can result in physical effects.

That being said, positive thinking only goes so far - physical and mental health (or lack thereof) is reliant on a combination of factors; for example, nutrition, exercise, genetic predisposition towards illness etc.

All the positive thinking in the world can't fix a broken bone, or get rid of conditions like diabetes, depression, schizophrenia or cancer.

I'm of the opinion that the mind and body working together in harmony, and that seeking to take care of and improve upon both during one's life, is something which is beneficial to one's health. But I don't think that focus upon the mental alone should be favored above the physical... which is to say, I'm not a big believer in denying oneself in the physical world in order to elevate the mind.

There's a doctrine known as sensualism which states that fully experiencing the sensations of taste, touch, smell, hearing, sight, pleasure, pain, heat, cold, motion, stillness - in essence, experience every range of sensation available in our lifetime - allows us the framework to shape our perception of the world and, by extension, understand higher philosophical principles. You've heard the expression that "the road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom" - sensualism is similar to that.

It's actually an idea that has been explored in depth by some of the notable philosphers in history, like Aristotle. You can read a little more about it here, if you like: http://sensualanimist.com/what-is-a-sensualist/

[BubblyShell22]

Positive thinking is a good thing, but I don't think bad thoughts are the only thing that causes depression because there could be chemical imbalances and the like, too. So I don't buy the whole "Negative thoughts lead to bad things while positive thoughts lead to good things." You can be positive all you want to, but that doesn't mean you can't get cancer or anything else just because you think positively.

[snake]

Super Goku thread activate!

[Amaranthus]

Originally Posted by snake

Super Goku thread activate!

This guy has so many issues.

[AT-Man]

I don't know what's going on, but I wish I was dead.

[Leo656]

C'mooooooooon.

[evan2000]

Originally Posted by Amaranthus

This guy has so many issues.

He did help you find that childhood toy though

[Amaranthus]

Originally Posted by evan2000

He did help you find that childhood toy though

You can polish a turd but it's still sh*t.

[pennydreadful]

Look who's talking.

[Amaranthus]

Originally Posted by pennydreadful

Look who's talking.