In it, the writer, Bruce Grierson gives us an overview of Langer's long and fruitful career so far, in particular how the innovative psychological studies she's carried out over the past many decades have produced results that surprise and inspire psychologists and the general public.
The piece starts with a vivid description of one of her earlier experiments in which a group of men in their 70's did a five-day retreat together in an environment that was completely set up to resemble a place in the 1950's. No mirrors. The youthening changes in the subjects after five days were remarkable.
In study after study, spanning a wide range of subjects, Langer has proved that what our minds are willing to believe can have profound physiological effects. Further experiments are even indicating that knowing that one's placebo is a placebo doesn't necessarily take away its benefits.
I'm a walking example of this realization. My receiving a healthy kidney last year has, as hoped, returned me to full energy and good health. Yet I have changed well beyond all expectations.
Since our kidneys use the iron we ingest to help produce healthy, oxygenated red blood cells, we weren't surprised that the chronic anemia I'd unknowingly been suffering from all my life was erased. Getting lots of life-giving oxygen to all my organs of course has made me feel better. But ever since my transplant, I've felt more, much more, than "better."
My mind has changed. I am thinking in ways that are to me new and surprising. My sleep is better than ever. My dreams are more vivid than ever before. My senses of smell and touch and hearing are noticeably more accute. And I feel peaceful, joyous and meditative most of the time. It feels like my ability to worry or fret or stress out or feel anger has evaporated.
I'm at the point that I accept the reality that almost all the doctors I've seen since my operation seem to pay little or no attention to my reports of such improvement well beyond expectations. My husband, my friends and my family all are witness to the changes, and we celebrate what feels miraculous. I fully recognize that all of these remarkable improvements may be largely due to the fact that I believe that having a healthy kidney could produce such changes. I really couldn't care less whether I'm "fooling myself" with a placebo effect. Bring it on!
As I am back to work now, in daily contact with children, I'm witnessing the ripple effect of feeling so great. As has always been the case with me as teacher, I'm constantly seeing the best in my kids, their potential as clear as if they'd already reached it. Self-confidence, believing in oneself, as well as its opposite, are learned both by example and by experience. Let us as teachers, parents, grandparents and as friends believe that positive development and healthy self-regard are teachable and learnable. If that takes a willing suspension of disbelief to accomplish, so be it.
Ellen Langer, a leading light in the "positive psychology" movement, is one of my heroes. Thank you for reminding me of the glory of being human.
And while we're at it, let's all visualize whirled peas!