How A Scientist Proved Water Has Feelings Too
Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words.”
Okay, I know, I know… Water doesn’t have feelings, right? Actually, Dr. Masaru Emoto says otherwise.
Dr. Emoto theorizes that human consciousness actually has an effect on the molecular structure of water. In other words, water reacts to positive and negative words accordingly.
In 1994, Dr. Emoto conducted a study which included exposing different samples of water to different words for a period of time. Some samples were exposed to the word “love”, some to the words “thank you”, and others to the phrase, “I hate you”. Then, he would freeze the water to observe the effects.
Here’s what he found:
These results are pretty amazing on their own, but it gets even more amazing when we consider that our bodies are made up of anywhere between 50% and 75% water.
If words impact a single droplet of water so drastically, can you imagine how much they affect the human body? Can you imagine how much they can affect you and me?
Of course, Dr. Emoto’s findings drummed up a lot of skepticism, and if I’m honest, I was one of the skeptics. That’s why, a few years ago I decided to conduct my own research with the help of my kids.
How We Used Rice to Test the Power of Words
We filled three jars with cooked rice and assigned each jar to a category of words. The first jar was labelled “love”, which meant we had to say kind and encouraging words to this jar every day.
The second jar was labelled “hate”, which meant we had to say mean and discouraging words to this jar every day.
The last jar remained unlabelled. We ignored this jar all together.
After 21 days, here’s what we found:
We were completely blown away by the results. The jar exposed to kind words flourished, while the jar exposed to mean words didn’t fare as well, and the jar we completely ignored turned out to be the mouldiest of all.
It really makes me wonder how important it is to give attention and love to ourselves (and how detrimental it can be if we don’t).
Honestly, I think Mother Theresa said it best:
“Spiteful words can hurt your feelings but silence breaks your heart.”
The Neuroscience Behind Our Words
Sticks and Stones
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.”
This phrase is reminiscent of childhood recess when we didn’t want others to know how hurtful their words truly were. However, the belief that physical injury is more painful than psychological or emotional injury is not necessarily true.
Scientific studies actually show that positive and negative words not only affect us on a deep psychological level, but they have a significant impact on the outcome of our lives.
It’s a phrase we hear all the time, but it makes me wonder if it’s actually true. For some people, words like “crazy”, “ugly” or “stupid” might not mean a lot. To others, it can leave a really negative impact on their self-esteem.
If you’re someone who has ever felt the detrimental effects of these negative words, you know what I mean.
But guess what — water feels that way too!
Words Can Hurt Me
In their neuroscience experiment, “Do Words Hurt?”, Maria Richter and collaborating scientists monitored subjects’ brain responses to auditory and imagined negative words. During this process, they discovered painful or negative words increase Implicit Processing (IMP) within the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sACC).
Put frankly, their study proved that negative words release stress and anxiety-inducing hormones in subjects.
Additionally, a study found increased levels of anxiety in children associated with higher rates of negative self-talk. According to the study’s abstract,
“These results suggest negative self-talk plays a role in the generation or maintenance of anxiety in normal children.”
Ultimately, negative words, whether spoken, heard, or thought, not only cause situational stress, but also contribute to long-term anxiety.
Think Happy Thoughts
Naturally, the recognition that holding negative thoughts in our mind is enough to induce stress and anxiety hormones begs the question, “What effect do positive thoughts have?”
In their jointly written book, Words Can Change Your Brain, Dr. Andrew Newberg, a neuroscientist at Thomas Jefferson University, and Mark Robert Waldman, a communications expert state, “a single word has the power to influence the expression of genes that regulate physical and emotional stress.”
Furthermore, according to these two experts in their field, exercising positive thoughts can quite literally change one’s reality.
“By holding a positive and optimistic [word] in your mind, you stimulate frontal lobe activity. This area includes specific language centers that connect directly to the motor cortex responsible for moving you into action. And as our research has shown, the longer you concentrate on positive words, the more you begin to affect other areas of the brain.”
~Newburg, Waldman
Over time, given sustained positive though, functions in the parietal lobe start to change. Consequently, this changes our perception of the self and those around us. Essentially, holding a positive view of ourselves helps train our brain to see the good in others.
Thus, by exercising consistent positive thoughts and speech, we not only change our self-perception, but how we perceive the world around us. Ultimately, this grants us the ability the shape our reality and change the world for the better.
BRMs: Using Positive Language to Drive Value
Evidently, as humans, our thought patterns directly shape our perception of the world and those around us. Our thoughts become our words, and therefore our language.
This holds true for humans individually, as well as organizationally. A strong company culture is one derived from a shared positive language based on organizational core values.
As BRMs, we know that relationships lie at the core of our role, and that language shapes our human interactions. So, how can we make a shift in the language we use in our daily work lives to reduce the negative associations with traditional “corporate lingo”?
In his article, “Language Matters”, Aaron Barnes, CEO of BRM Institute, dives deeply into the importance of positive language in elevating your business communications to drive value.
Take a look at a few examples of how you can shift towards positive language. As you do, really think about how each of these words or phrases make you feel, remember, or associate.
BRM Positive Language Shifts
- Capability instead of Process
- Convergence instead of Alignment
- Shared Ownership instead of Accountability
- Demand Shaping instead of Demand Management
- Business Capabilities instead of Services
Making these small changes in the words we use to express ideas creates a culture that doesn’t single out or place blame on any department or individual within the organization. Rather, it aims to promote transparency, elevate communications, and appreciate individual value.
In the end, shared positive language will promote effective communication and collaboration; breeding innovation, success, and organizational value.
“Language Matters” contains a comprehensive list of all the positive language shifts you can implement to drive effective communication across your enterprise. source
Scientists turn words into matter
Machine learning translates human language into materials
Is our consciousness, thoughts, and words a state of matter or the result of our neurons creating a material reality? It’s a phenomenon of discovery that MIT scientists explored using a variety of machine learning tools to understand the connection between human language and matter. What they found is that human language can create a physical object which has materialized in the exact way our words describe.
At the American Physics Society’s March Meeting, materials scientist Markus Buehler, the Jerry McAfee Professor of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will present new research conducted by him and his team that uncovers a text-to-material design approach of multi-material composite designs based on human readable language and 3D printing.
“Human language contains the rules of grammar that form phrases and sentences together to convey meaning. It’s equivalent to the self-assembly process in materials science, where a molecule forms into larger scale structures by itself,” said Buehler.
Another correlation is the importance of order in language. Different words produce different meanings and the same is true for molecules and the building blocks of materials. “If you assemble them in different order, they are going to have a very different function,” adds Buehler.
The researchers experimented with this concept using deep learning and transformer models to translate human language into describing the assembly of material building blocks. “We developed this system where we can ask computers to help us assemble materials that don’t exist yet,” said Buehler.
The system allows a person to type text into the computer that describes anything their imagination wants to create, and a couple hours later, you have a physical three-dimensional replica in your hands that resembles everything you just typed.
Using machine learning tools to understand and translate human language into multi-dimensional materials is a cumbersome and computationally expensive problem to solve.
Buehler’s lab has been working to solve this problem to design bio-based materials and for many years used analytical methods like category theory.
“The power of machine learning allows us to solve complex problems computationally that are not tractable using any of the analytical pen and paper methods,” said Buehler
Buehler adds, this form of materialization wouldn’t be possible without deep learning models. “It’s building a relationship between language and our thoughts. We can now explore, what are the physical properties of our thoughts?”
Simulation of our thoughts to describe an architectural material printed on flexible black TPU filament
Your Words Do Matter
Negative, angry and critical words cause emotional and physical damage, not only to the listener, but to the speaker. A single negative word, whether spoken to a stranger, a friend or a family member, can leave a lasting impression that might never be erased. Negative words create negative attitudes, destroy relationships and block communication. For children, the effects are more serious. Studies have found that connections between the left and right sides of the brain are underdeveloped in adults who were verbally abused as children by their parents or by peers.
Some people justify angry behavior by claiming that they need to express feelings of being frustrated, stressed, or under pressure. In fact, speaking negative words to others causes physical changes in your own brain that can affect your well-being. Neurologists have found that vocalizing a negative word such as “no” immediately releases a flood of stress-producing hormones that interrupt normal brain function and impair your ability to think logically, reason, process language and communicate. This is believed to be linked to a “flight response” that helped our ancestors survive by reacting instantly to dangerous situations.
Thinking and speaking negative thoughts over and over can permanently damage parts of your brain that regulate your memory, emotions, appetite, and sleep patterns. Feelings of anxiety and sadness increase, and the ability to experience long-term satisfaction decreases. Unfortunately, thinking and saying positive words does not have the same dramatic effect on your brain. You need to speak a positive word multiple times to counteract the effect on your brain of one negative word.
Controlling or eliminating negative words and actions has a positive effect on your overall health. Research shows that a positive attitude reduces the occurrence of heart disease, improves immune responses, and is associated with making healthier lifestyle choices. Here are some tips;
Understand yourself. Ask yourself why you feel so angry or negative. Are you hungry, tired, disappointed, late, or upset by something that happened at work? Instead of saying unkind words to the person in front of you, look for a positive way to alleviate the source of your distress.
Smile (even a fake smile). A study by the University of Kansas showed that the physical act of smiling lowers blood pressure and slows the heart rate during times of stress.
Be polite. Everyone likes to be treated with courtesy and respect. Showing consideration for others creates a positive environment.
Be aware of the whole situation. An employee serving a long line of customers at the deli counter or post office is under a lot of pressure. A waiter who forgets your order could be new on the job. Remember when you might have been in a similar situation. By being tolerant and understanding, you make it easier for them to do their job.
Try an attitude adjustment and turn negatives into positives. Instead of fuming because you have to commute in heavy traffic, use the time to listen to music or podcasts. If you are short on money, appreciate the good things you have, such as the company of friends and family.
Learning to control negative thoughts and avoid negative actions will result in more rewarding relationships and have a positive effect on your health and well-being. source
Positive thinking: Stop negative self-talk to reduce stress
Positive thinking helps with stress management and can even improve your health. Practice overcoming negative self-talk with examples provided.
Is your glass half-empty or half-full? How you answer this age-old question about positive thinking may reflect your outlook on life, your attitude toward yourself, and whether you’re optimistic or pessimistic — and it may even affect your health.
Indeed, some studies show that personality traits such as optimism and pessimism can affect many areas of your health and well-being. The positive thinking that usually comes with optimism is a key part of effective stress management. And effective stress management is associated with many health benefits. If you tend to be pessimistic, don’t despair — you can learn positive thinking skills.
Understanding positive thinking and self-talk
Positive thinking doesn’t mean that you ignore life’s less pleasant situations. Positive thinking just means that you approach unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way. You think the best is going to happen, not the worst.
Positive thinking often starts with self-talk. Self-talk is the endless stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of your self-talk comes from logic and reason. Other self-talk may arise from misconceptions that you create because of lack of information or expectations due to preconceived ideas of what may happen.
If the thoughts that run through your head are mostly negative, your outlook on life is more likely pessimistic. If your thoughts are mostly positive, you’re likely an optimist — someone who practices positive thinking.
The health benefits of positive thinking
Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health. Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:
- Increased life span
- Lower rates of depression
- Lower levels of distress and pain
- Greater resistance to illnesses
- Better psychological and physical well-being
- Better cardiovascular health and reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease and stroke
- Reduced risk of death from cancer
- Reduced risk of death from respiratory conditions
- Reduced risk of death from infections
- Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress
It’s unclear why people who engage in positive thinking experience these health benefits. One theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body.
It’s also thought that positive and optimistic people tend to live healthier lifestyles — they get more physical activity, follow a healthier diet, and don’t smoke or drink alcohol in excess.
Identifying negative thinking
Not sure if your self-talk is positive or negative? Some common forms of negative self-talk include:
- Filtering. You magnify the negative aspects of a situation and filter out all the positive ones. For example, you had a great day at work. You completed your tasks ahead of time and were complimented for doing a speedy and thorough job. That evening, you focus only on your plan to do even more tasks and forget about the compliments you received.
- Personalizing. When something bad occurs, you automatically blame yourself. For example, you hear that an evening out with friends is canceled, and you assume that the change in plans is because no one wanted to be around you.
- Catastrophizing. You automatically anticipate the worst without facts that the worse will happen. The drive-through coffee shop gets your order wrong, and then you think that the rest of your day will be a disaster.
- Blaming. You try to say someone else is responsible for what happened to you instead of yourself. You avoid being responsible for your thoughts and feelings.
- Saying you “should” do something. You think of all the things you think you should do and blame yourself for not doing them.
- Magnifying. You make a big deal out of minor problems.
- Perfectionism. Keeping impossible standards and trying to be more perfect sets yourself up for failure.
- Polarizing. You see things only as either good or bad. There is no middle ground.
Focusing on positive thinking
You can learn to turn negative thinking into positive thinking. The process is simple, but it does take time and practice — you’re creating a new habit, after all. Following are some ways to think and behave in a more positive and optimistic way:
- Identify areas to change. If you want to become more optimistic and engage in more positive thinking, first identify areas of your life that you usually think negatively about, whether it’s work, your daily commute, life changes or a relationship. You can start small by focusing on one area to approach in a more positive way. Think of a positive thought to manage your stress instead of a negative one.
- Check yourself. Periodically during the day, stop and evaluate what you’re thinking. If you find that your thoughts are mainly negative, try to find a way to put a positive spin on them.
- Be open to humor. Give yourself permission to smile or laugh, especially during difficult times. Seek humor in everyday happenings. When you can laugh at life, you feel less stressed.
- Follow a healthy lifestyle. Aim to exercise for about 30 minutes on most days of the week. You can also break it up into 5- or 10-minute chunks of time during the day. Exercise can positively affect mood and reduce stress. Follow a healthy diet to fuel your mind and body. Get enough sleep. And learn techniques to manage stress.
- Surround yourself with positive people. Make sure those in your life are positive, supportive people you can depend on to give helpful advice and feedback. Negative people may increase your stress level and make you doubt your ability to manage stress in healthy ways.
- Practice positive self-talk. Start by following one simple rule: Don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to anyone else. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself. If a negative thought enters your mind, evaluate it rationally and respond with affirmations of what is good about you. Think about things you’re thankful for in your life.
Here are some examples of negative self-talk and how you can apply a positive thinking twist to them:
| Negative self-talk | Positive thinking |
|---|---|
| I’ve never done it before. | It’s an opportunity to learn something new. |
| It’s too complicated. | I’ll tackle it from a different angle. |
| I don’t have the resources. | Necessity is the mother of invention. |
| I’m too lazy to get this done. | I couldn’t fit it into my schedule, but I can re-examine some priorities. |
| There’s no way it will work. | I can try to make it work. |
| It’s too radical a change. | Let’s take a chance. |
| No one bothers to communicate with me. | I’ll see if I can open the channels of communication. |
| I’m not going to get any better at this. | I’ll give it another try. |
Practicing positive thinking every day
If you tend to have a negative outlook, don’t expect to become an optimist overnight. But with practice, eventually your self-talk will contain less self-criticism and more self-acceptance. You may also become less critical of the world around you.
When your state of mind is generally optimistic, you’re better able to handle everyday stress in a more constructive way. That ability may contribute to the widely observed health benefits of positive thinking. source
Sticks and Stones: Hurtful Words Damage the Brain
Verbal abuse in childhood inflicts lasting physical effects on brain structure.
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
We all know how untrue that childhood incantation is. Words do hurt. Ridicule, disdain, humiliation, and taunting all cause injury, and when it is delivered in childhood from a child’s peers, verbal abuse causes more than emotional trauma. It inflicts lasting physical effects on brain structure.
The remarkable thing about the human brain is that it develops after birth. Unlike most animals whose brains are cast at birth, the human brain is so underdeveloped at birth that we cannot even walk for months. Self-awareness does not develop for years. Personality, cognitive abilities, and skills take decades to develop, and these attributes develop differently in every person. This is because the development and wiring of the human brain are guided by our experiences during childhood and adolescence. From a biological perspective, this increases the odds that an individual will compete and reproduce successfully in the environment the individual is born into, rather than the environment experienced by our caveman ancestors and recorded in our genes through natural selection. Developing the human brain out of the womb cheats evolution, and this is the reason for the success of our species.
When that environment is hostile or socially unhealthy, development of the brain is affected, and often it is impaired. Early childhood sexual abuse, physical abuse, or even witnessing domestic violence, have been shown to cause abnormal physical changes in the brain of children, with lasting effects that predispose the child to developing psychological disorders. This type of brain scarring is well established now by human brain imaging studies, but prior to the recent study by Martin Teicher and colleagues at Harvard Medical School, taunting and other verbal abuse experienced by middle school children from their peers was not thought to leave a structural imprint on the developing brain. But it does, according to their new study published online in advance of print in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
Young adults, ages 18-25, with no history of exposure to domestic violence, sexual abuse, or parental physical abuse, were asked to rate their childhood exposure to parental and peer verbal abuse when they were children, and then they were given a brain scan.
The results revealed that those individuals who reported experiencing verbal abuse from their peers during middle school years had underdeveloped connections between the left and right sides of their brain through the massive bundle of connecting fibers called the corpus callosum. Psychological tests given to all subjects in the study showed that this same group of individuals had higher levels of anxiety, depression, anger, hostility, dissociation, and drug abuse than others in the study.
Verbal abuse from peers during the middle school years had the greatest impact, presumably because this is a sensitive period when these brain connections are developing and becoming insulated with myelin. (Myelin is formed by non-neuronal cells, brain cells that are also known as “the other brain”, or glia.)
The environment that children are raised in molds not only their mind, but also their brain. This is something many long suspected, but now we have scientific instruments that show us how dramatically childhood experience alters the physical structure of the brain, and how sensitive we are as children to these environmental effects. Words–verbal harassment–from peers (and, as a previous study from these researchers showed, verbal abuse from a child’s parents) can cause far more than emotional harm.
Early childhood experience can either nourish or stifle brain development, and the consequences are physical, personal, and societal. Childhood taunting and verbal bullying have always been a problem, but many feel that civility, courtesy, polite social interactions, have declined markedly from the environment that today’s adults experienced as children. Many schools are more hostile places than schools once were, and new technologies, such as the internet, offer more opportunities for taunting and humiliation of children. If this is true, modern conditions or attitudes that tolerate verbal abuse of children by their peers are an incubator for developing brains with abnormalities in the corpus callosum and an elevated risk of psychiatric problems. The critical concern for ridding our environment of neurotoxins must also include “neurotoxins” children are exposed to in their social environment. source
Why This Word Is So Dangerous to Say or Hear
This word can damage both the speaker’s and listener’s brain.
KEY POINTS
- Research shows that seeing the word “no” causes the sudden release of dozens of stress-producing hormones and neurotransmitters in the brain.
- Fear-provoking words—like poverty, illness, and death—also stimulate the brain in negative ways.
- To overcome bias toward negativity, one needs to generate at least three positive thoughts and feelings for each negative expression.
If I were to put you into an fMRI scanner—a huge donut-shaped magnet that can take a video of the neural changes in your brain—and flash the word “no” for less than one second, you’d see a sudden release of dozens of stress-producing hormones and neurotransmitters. These chemicals immediately interrupt the normal functioning of your brain, impairing logic, reason, language processing, and communication.
In fact, just seeing a list of negative words for a few seconds will make a highly anxious or depressed person feel worse, and the more you ruminate on them, the more you can actually damage key structures that regulate your memory, feelings, and emotions. [1] You’ll disrupt your sleep, your appetite, and your ability to experience long-term happiness and satisfaction.
If you vocalize your negativity, or even slightly frown when you say “no,” more stress chemicals will be released, not only in your brain but in the listener’s as well. [2] The listener will experience increased anxiety and irritability, thus undermining cooperation and trust. In fact, just hanging around negative people will make you more prejudiced toward others. [3]
Any form of negative rumination—for example, worrying about your financial future or health—will stimulate the release of destructive neurochemicals. The same holds true for children: The more negative thoughts they have, the more likely they are to experience emotional turmoil. [4] But if you teach them to think positively, you can turn their lives around. [5]
Negative thinking is also self-perpetuating, and the more you engage in negative dialogue—at home or at work—the more difficult it becomes to stop. [6] But negative words, spoken with anger, do even more damage. They send alarm messages through the brain, interfering with the decision-making centers in the frontal lobe, and this increases a person’s propensity to act irrationally.
To interrupt this natural propensity to worry, several steps can be taken. First, ask yourself: “Is the situation really a threat to my personal survival?” Usually, it isn’t, and the faster you can interrupt the amygdala’s reaction to an imagined threat, the quicker you can take action to solve the problem. You’ll also reduce the possibility of burning a permanent negative memory into your brain. [8]
After you have identified the negative thought (which often operates just below the level of everyday consciousness), you can reframe it by choosing to focus on positive words and images. The result: Anxiety and depression decrease and the number of unconscious negative thoughts declines. [9]
The Power of Yes
When doctors and therapists teach patients to turn negative thoughts and worries into positive affirmations, the communication process improves and the patient regains self-control and confidence. [10] But there’s a problem: The brain barely responds to our positive words and thoughts. [11] They’re not a threat to our survival, so the brain doesn’t need to respond as rapidly as it does to negative thoughts and words. [12]
To overcome this neural bias for negativity, we must repetitiously and consciously generate as many positive thoughts as we can. Barbara Fredrickson, a founder of positive psychology, discovered that if we need to generate at least three positive thoughts and feelings for each expression of negativity. If you express fewer, personal and business relationships are likely to fail. This finding correlates with Marcial Losada’s research with corporate teams, [13] and John Gottman’s research with marital couples. [14]
It doesn’t matter if your positive thoughts are irrational; they’ll still enhance your sense of happiness, well-being, and satisfaction. [15] In fact, positive thinking can help anyone build a better and more optimistic attitude toward life. [16]
Positive words and thoughts propel the motivational centers of the brain into action [17] and help us build resilience when we are faced with problems. [18] According to Sonja Lyubomirsky, a leading happiness researcher, if you want to develop lifelong satisfaction, you should regularly engage in positive thinking about yourself, share your happiest events with others, and savor every positive experience. [19]
Our advice: Choose your words wisely and speak them slowly. This will allow you to interrupt the brain’s propensity to be negative, and, as recent research has shown, the mere repetition of positive words like love, peace, and compassion will turn on specific genes that lower your physical and emotional stress. [20] You’ll feel better, live longer, and build deeper and more trusting relationships with others, at home and at work.
As Fredrickson and Losada point out, when you generate a minimum of five positive thoughts for each negative one, you’ll experience “an optimal range of human functioning.” [21] That is the power of Yes.
[1] Some assessments of the amygdala role in suprahypothalamic neuroendocrine regulation: a minireview. Talarovicova A, Krskova L, Kiss A. Endocr Regul. 2007 Nov;41(4):155-62.
[2]HaririAR, Tessitore A, Mattay VS, Fera F,Weinberger DR.. The amygdala response to emotional stimuli: a comparison of faces and scenes. Neuroimage. 2002 Sep;17(1):317-23.
[3] Duhachek A, Zhang S, Krishnan S. Anticipated Group Interaction: Coping withValence Asymmetries in Attitude Shift. Journal Of Consumer Research. Vol. 34. October 2007.
[4] The Role of Repetitive Negative Thoughts in the Vulnerability for Emotional Problems in Non-Clinical Children. Broeren S, Muris P, Bouwmeester S, van der Heijden KB, Abee A. J Child Fam Stud. 2011 Apr;20(2):135-148.
[5] Protocol for a randomised controlled trial of a school based cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) intervention to prevent depression in high risk adolescents (PROMISE). Stallard P, Montgomery AA, Araya R, Anderson R, Lewis G, Sayal K, Buck R, Millings A,Taylor JA. Trials. 2010 Nov 29;11:114.
[6] What is in a word? No versus Yes differentially engage the lateral orbitofrontal cortex. Alia-Klein N, Goldstein RZ, Tomasi D, Zhang L, Fagin-Jones S, Telang F, Wang GJ, Fowler JS, Volkow ND. Emotion. 2007 Aug;7(3):649-59.
[7] Wright, R. The Moral Animal: Why We Are, the Way We Are: The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology. Vintage, 1995.
[8] Erasing fear memories with extinction training. Quirk GJ, Paré D, Richardson R, Herry C, Monfils MH, Schiller D, Vicentic A. J Neurosci. 2010 Nov 10;30(45):14993-7.
[9] Generalized hypervigilance in fibromyalgia patients: an experimental analysis with the emotional Stroop paradigm. González JL, Mercado F, Barjola P, Carretero I, López-López A, Bullones MA, Fernández-Sánchez M, Alonso M. J Psychosom Res. 2010 Sep;69(3):279-87.
[10] [Negative and positive suggestions in anaesthesia : Improved communication with anxious surgical patients]. Hansen E, Bejenke C. Anaesthesist. 2010 Mar;59(3):199-202, 204-6, 208-9.
[11] Kisley MA, Wood S, Burrows CL. Looking at the sunny side of life: age-related change in an event-related potential measure of the negativity bias. Psychol Sci. 2007 Sep;18(9):838-43.
[12] May I have your attention, please: electrocortical responses to positive and negative stimuli. Smith NK, Cacioppo JT, Larsen JT, Chartrand TL. Neuropsychologia. 2003;41(2):171-83.
[13] Losada, M. & Heaphy, E. (2004). The role of positivity and connectivity in the performance of business teams: A nonlinear dynamics model. Losada M, Heaphy E. Am Behav Scientist. 2004 47 (6):740–765.
[14] Gottman J. What Predicts Divorce?: The Relationship Between Marital Processes and Marital Outcomes. Psychology Press, 1993.
[15] On the incremental validity of irrational beliefs to predict subjective well-being while controlling for personality factors. Spörrle M, Strobel M, Tumasjan A. Psicothema. 2010 Nov;22(4):543-8.
[16] The value of positive psychology for health psychology: progress and pitfalls in examining the relation of positive phenomena to health. Aspinwall LG, Tedeschi RG. Ann Behav Med. 2010 Feb;39(1):4-15.
[17] What is in a word? No versus Yes differentially engage the lateral orbitofrontal cortex. Alia-Klein N, Goldstein RZ, Tomasi D, Zhang L, Fagin-Jones S, Telang F, Wang GJ, Fowler JS, Volkow ND. Emotion. 2007 Aug;7(3):649-59.
[18] Happiness unpacked: positive emotions increase life satisfaction by building resilience. Cohn MA, Fredrickson BL, Brown SL, Mikels JA,Conway AM. Emotion. 2009 Jun;9(3):361-8.
[19] Pursuing Happiness in Everyday Life: The Characteristics and Behaviors of Online Happiness Seekers. Parks AC, Della Porta MD, Pierce RS, Zilca R, Lyubomirsky S. Emotion. 2012 May 28.
[20] Genomic counter-stress changes induced by the relaxation response. Dusek JA, Otu HH, Wohlhueter AL, Bhasin M, Zerbini LF, Joseph MG, Benson H, Libermann TA. PLoS One. 2008 Jul 2;3(7):e2576.
[21] Positive affect and the complex dynamics of human flourishing. Fredrickson BL, Losada MF. Am Psychol. 2005 Oct;60(7):678-86.