How to Reverse Aging Naturally
In 1991, I gave a presentation at a Mind/Body Medicine medical conference. Deepak Chopra, MD, perhaps the most famous holistic medical doctor of our time, gave a keynote presentation, that eternally changed my life and in particular, my awareness of “aging.” He discussed a fascinating study that was conducted in 1979.
A group of men 70 to 80 years of age, were taken for a week to a remote New England monastery that was set in 1959. The study was led by a Harvard University social psychologist.
Everything there, the television, magazines, newspapers were all circa 1959. The men were asked to act as if it was in fact 1959. They listened to radio programs, viewed television shows, and discussed the politics and sports events of that time. The men were asked by the researchers to act as if they’d traveled back in time.
The researchers sought to discern if their mental return to 20 years hence would improve their health.
Elllen Langer, Ph.D., a psychology professor and lead researcher, announced the results were nothing short of amazing. After 7 short days, the men possessed more joint flexibility, greater movement, and diminished arthritis in their hands. Their intelligence and mental functioning improved, as did their muscle strength, posture and walking. Pictures of the men at the end of the study were determined to be younger. All of these findings suggest that their “aging” process believed to be permanent was reversed.
This study dramatically changed the way I perceived “aging.” I could never again even consider accepting the conventional wisdom surrounding this issue. I knew the mind played a role, as I’d watched my parents over the years exhibit few, if any signs of “aging.” Their zest for life, and daily engagement with joyful hearts, I believe allowed them to look younger than their siblings who were born many years after them.
Counterclockwise, Dr. Langer’s book was published in 2009. She believes, and I completely agree and support her view that all of us are restricted by our own beliefs about “aging” and health. If we fail to pay attention to these beliefs and stereotypes about “aging” and health, we allow them to influence our self-perceptions and behavior.
Also, Dr. Langer conducted another study that investigated the role clothing plays in promoting “aging” stereotypes. Most of us usually dress in accordance to what is age appropriate for their particular culture.
She points that we are continuously reminded on a daily basis by signals that aging is an unavoidable and undesirable period of decline. These signals make it difficult to “age” or live gracefully and that pigeonholes us regardless of our age into expected diseases.
When we accept without question a diagnosis such as cancer and depression as our own, they define us and significantly reduces the likelihood of living a healthier future.
Dr. Langer wrote, about her 1979 landmark research: This study shaped not only my view of aging, but also my view of limits in a general way for the next few decades. Over time, I have come to believe less and less that biology is destiny. It is not primarily our physical selves that limit us, but rather our mindset about our physical limits. Now I accept none of the medical wisdom regarding the course our disease must take as necessarily true.
If a group of elderly adults could produce such dramatic changes in their lives, imagine, what is truly possible for the rest of us.
Learn more about mind body mdicine. Stop by Elaine R. Ferguson, MD’s site where you can find out all about anti-aging research and what it can do for you.