In a recent experiment, researchers tested whether expectations about the duration of recovery affected recovery. It turns out that people’s perception of the passage of time affects how quickly their wounds heal.
The central idea of the Langer lab is that when people perceive the mind and body as a whole, they immediately see that the mind has tremendous control over health and well-being.
The first test of this hypothesis was an experiment conducted in 1979. The old men lived for a while in a shelter that looked as if it existed 20 years ago. The subjects were asked to live the same way they did in their youth. Surprisingly, their hearing, vision, memory and strength improved without the need for any medical intervention. By the end of the week, they looked noticeably younger in the photo.
In other experiments, scientists found that anticipating fatigue can make people feel even more tired, and that thinking about a cold is associated with an increased likelihood of catching a cold. Another study found that people who expected certain benefits from daily exercise (especially weight loss) actually saw them.
In a recent study, researchers examined how expectations may affect recovery from physical injury. 33 people attended. They found that their wounds healed faster when they thought more time had passed, and slower when they thought less time had passed. In reality, the duration was the same.
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Source: Ferra
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