Human bodies recognize at the molecular level that not all happiness is created equal, responding in ways that can help or hinder physical health, according to new research led by Barbara L. Fredrickson.
“Philosophers have long distinguished two basic forms of well-being: a ‘hedonic’ form representing an individual’s sense pleasurable experiences, and a deeper ‘eudaimonic,’ form that results from striving toward meaning and a noble purpose beyond simple self-gratification,” wrote Fredrickson and her colleagues. Both give us a sense of happiness, but each is experienced very differently in the body’s cells.
Eudaimonic well-being was associated with a significant decrease in the stress-related CTRA gene expression profile. In contrast, hedonic well-being was associated with a significant increase in the CTRA profile. Their genomics-based analyses, the authors reported, reveal the hidden costs of purely hedonic well-being.”At the cellular level, our bodies appear to respond better to a different kind of well-being, one based on a sense of connectedness and purpose.”
Also, ‘Kindfulness’ impacts brain circuits, boosting empathy, compassion, and joy. It also increases vagal tone, which is known to counter stress, reduce inflammation, and even play a protective role in cancer progression.
So kindness is much more than the things that we say or do. These are its social aspects. Kindness is the intention of how we use our minds, in what and who we focus upon. The feelings induced go inward, affecting our mental and physical health.
These findings and others suggest that kindness increases mood, physical health and generosity.
National Academy of Sciences
We are all Interconnected even with the Universe 
Leave a comment