PREVIEW

Study Suggests Perception of Time Can Impact Our Ability to Heal. PsyPost reports that new research suggests that how we perceive time can significantly impact our body's ability to heal. The findings, published in 'Scientific Reports,' provide evidence to support the powerful link that exists between our minds and our physical health. Researchers found that people's wounds healed faster when they believed that more time had elapsed. "We go through life acquiring different beliefs based on what we learn and from our personal experiences, many of which influence us without our conscious awareness." "e.g. beliefs about whether we’re likely to get sick, how quickly we’re likely to heal, the signs that mean we’re getting older, and so on." PsyPost reports that the findings suggest psychological constructs, like our perception of time, can exert a direct influence on our physical health outcomes. "It is often worth noticing our implicit beliefs, especially when they’re counterproductive (e.g. expecting to heal slowly), and questioning them." "How do we know they’re accurate? What alternative beliefs might be equally valid in this context? Are any of the equally valid alternatives more constructive?". "Why not believe one of those instead? That’s the idea – keeping our minds and our bodies mutually aligned.", Peter J. Aungle, Study author and a PhD candidate at Harvard University, via PsyPost. The findings reportedly took into account a number of potential variables, including age, stress, anxiety and depression. However, PsyPost points out that the subjective nature of time perception and its variability across individuals makes it difficult to fully understand the mechanisms at play. THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT