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Oct. 13th, 2006
a cause for hope, part 2
Oct. 13th, 2006 08:07 amThis human work of healing our bodies and our lives, of making ourselves whole, is work we were meant to do together, with friends, loved ones, allies and companions:
Friends for Life: An Emerging Biology of Emotional Healing (full article requires free NYT registration)
Excerpt:
Research on the link between relationships and physical health has established that people with rich personal networks — who are married, have close family and friends, are active in social and religious groups — recover more quickly from disease and live longer. But now the emerging field of social neuroscience, the study of how people’s brains entrain as they interact, adds a missing piece to that data.
The most significant finding was the discovery of “mirror neurons,” a widely dispersed class of brain cells that operate like neural WiFi. Mirror neurons track the emotional flow, movement and even intentions of the person we are with, and replicate this sensed state in our own brain by stirring in our brain the same areas active in the other person.
Helping each other be more healthy, and helping each other be more human, is part of what we are here for. It's how we evolved, it is how we are built, it's in our blood and bones and the neurons in our brains. In communities, in partnerships, within bonds of friendship and love, we lift each other up, we provide each other with strength and support and sustenance. We don't even have to know what to do, or what to say, or exactly how it works -- it seems that just being there for each another is enough. We are never alone in this sacred work of learning to become more fully human, of growing to be whole, healthy individuals living in healthy communities, in learning to be more complete, together. We are holy, and we are healers. We can help each other become who we are meant to be, simply by choosing to be present in each other's lives.
Friends for Life: An Emerging Biology of Emotional Healing (full article requires free NYT registration)
Excerpt:
Research on the link between relationships and physical health has established that people with rich personal networks — who are married, have close family and friends, are active in social and religious groups — recover more quickly from disease and live longer. But now the emerging field of social neuroscience, the study of how people’s brains entrain as they interact, adds a missing piece to that data.
The most significant finding was the discovery of “mirror neurons,” a widely dispersed class of brain cells that operate like neural WiFi. Mirror neurons track the emotional flow, movement and even intentions of the person we are with, and replicate this sensed state in our own brain by stirring in our brain the same areas active in the other person.
Helping each other be more healthy, and helping each other be more human, is part of what we are here for. It's how we evolved, it is how we are built, it's in our blood and bones and the neurons in our brains. In communities, in partnerships, within bonds of friendship and love, we lift each other up, we provide each other with strength and support and sustenance. We don't even have to know what to do, or what to say, or exactly how it works -- it seems that just being there for each another is enough. We are never alone in this sacred work of learning to become more fully human, of growing to be whole, healthy individuals living in healthy communities, in learning to be more complete, together. We are holy, and we are healers. We can help each other become who we are meant to be, simply by choosing to be present in each other's lives.