Numerous pages of psychology websites are full of headlines about positive thinking, setting yourself up for success, and imagining a wonderful future. And often a doubt creeps in whether these methods really work. Interestingly, imaging is often used by cognitive psychotherapists to help patients stop experiencing anxiety and overcome negative emotions, such as after post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). And in a study published in the journal Frontiers of Human Neuroscience, they decided to look at whether the same techniques can be applied at home and whether it will be useful.
We will tell you the result right away - there will be some sense from this, and such mental visualizations really help to fight negative emotions. And, which seems a little unreal, they even change the way our brains work.
And now, in order
I am successful, I am successful, I am successful
Visualization is considered an effective method and is widely used in modern cognitive psychotherapy. A lot of data has accumulated over almost 60 years of its use, but almost all of them relate to the application of the method in the presence of a specialist.
A person can experience strong emotions and feelings in the absence of stimuli and solely through memories, or a representation of something based on imagination. Memories can be not only old, but also very "close". For example, unpleasant interactions with your boss in the morning, which can even increase anxiety levels and demotivate. It is interesting to find ways to help withstand these daily negative emotional responses and, in the long term, improve people's emotional resilience.
But the constant presence of a specialist nearby is not possible for everyone, so the scientists wanted to see if there would be a result if people themselves tried to apply this method. For this, a group of 30 subjects was recruited.
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At the beginning of the study, during two days of intensive training led by qualified specialists, they were taught how to deal with negative memories, how to use positive ideas about the future to set the mood for achieving goals, and how to improve interaction with people. In general, it was taught to maintain emotional balance. Then, for 12 weeks, the subjects spent 15-20 minutes every day, independently applying this practice. And after the last week they came back to a similar two-day event.
Scientists recorded brain activity in the first two days of training and in the last two days using EEG, and also conducted questionnaires to see how people assess their mood and satisfaction with life.
Tune in to the positive - it works
It turned out that, according to the personal opinion of the subjects, depressive symptoms became less noticeable, and the number of those who had them decreased by half. In general, all subjects became more satisfied with their lives and perceived their work activities as efficient enough.
EEG data showed significant changes in beta activity in the prefrontal cortex, which is involved in the presentation of pleasant emotions and is involved in assessing life satisfaction. The scientists also noticed changes in the functional connections of the brain, including increased connectivity between the temporal regions in both hemispheres. This picture just from a physiological point of view explains the actively working imagination. The study authors have a hunch that there may also be an increase in neuronal activity with gamma-aminobutyric acid, which is well known for its anti-anxiety and antidepressant properties.
Assuming possible criticism, the scientists themselves say that they did not provide for a control group, which, for example, would just relax or play sports for 12 weeks. This would allow us to say more confidently about the impact of positive visualization. Scientists point out that relaxation by itself cannot show the same results. In addition, there are studies in which subjects were given an EEG after normal relaxation, and the results differed from those obtained in this study.
The results of the work demonstrate that "self-adjustment" has a positive effect and improves mood in healthy people. That is, this technique can be used, for example, in companies in order to increase employee morale and improve their productivity. But let's make an important point - you shouldn't use it completely on your own, at first it is still worth consulting with a specialist and mastering the method under his supervision. And only with the receipt of permission for independent practice, start yourself.
Nadezhda Potapova