Optimal Being

  Summary:  Perceived time significantly impacts the healing of physical wounds. Researchers found wounds healed faster when participants believed more time had passed, challenging conventional beliefs about psychological effects on physical health. The research emphasizes the need to consider a broader range of psychological influences on physical well-being and suggests that abstract beliefs about the body’s functioning directly affect health outcomes. Further investigations aim to uncover the underlying mechanisms and broader implications of this intriguing discovery. Key Facts: Perceived time plays a crucial role in the actual healing process of physical wounds, regardless of the actual elapsed time. The study suggests a broader range of psychological influences on physical health, beyond the traditional focus on emotions and behavior. Researchers are conducting further investigations to better understand the mechanisms and implications of this mind-body connection in heal...

Strength athletes who replace some of their workouts with sessions in which they imagine training with weights achieve almost the same progression as athletes who don't miss any training sessions. Sports scientist Mathias Reiser of Justus Liebig University Giessen came to this conclusion after doing a trial with 43 healthy students. Imaginary training is a good option for athletes with a lively imagination. Imaginary training Imagining that you are training strengthens muscles. This was proved in a famous study done by sports scientist Vinoth Ranganathan.  [Neuropsychologia. 2004;42(7):944-56.]  Without even moving your biceps, for example, you can strengthen them just by thinking of curls. Researchers in the Netherlands discovered that it was possible to  strengthen the calf muscle  of subjects using this method, and that people with serious injuries  recovered more quickly . Scientists at the University of Lyon  discovered  that imaginary training is...