Kindness and Empathy Trigger Physiological Health Benefits

Key Quotes

"there was a study on doctor visits with over 700 patients with symptoms of the cold or flu and they participated in it was called the care study consultation and relational empathy and they secretly had to give the doctor a score between zero and 10 on the empathy that they showed during that visit and those who scored the doctor a perfect 10 out of 10 their immune response to the same condition was 50 higher than everyone else and it just came down to empathy how they made them feel and what you're seeing is how you feel then is physically affecting your the function of your immune system"

Dr. Rangan Chatterjee highlights a study demonstrating a significant link between a doctor's empathy and a patient's immune response. This suggests that the feeling of being cared for and understood can have a direct, measurable physiological impact on health outcomes, extending beyond conventional medical treatments.

"I was so fascinated with how many people were improving on placebos and it was so interesting to me and I think because my mom had learned about mental strategies that could help her a little bit navigate that course through some of those difficult days so that was my so I was so fascinated after four years of really my own mini research projects just reading and learning everything I could I decided to resign because I my passion then was to educate people on to write and to speak to educate on how we can harness this overall effect you know to improve our health and to you know make life a little bit better for us"

Dr. David Hamilton explains his transition from the pharmaceutical industry to educating others about the mind-body connection. His fascination with the placebo effect, stemming from his mother's experiences, led him to believe in the power of mental strategies to improve health and well-being.

"if you visualize moving your body then in some ways your brain processes that as if you're actually doing it I remember telling one of my former colleagues that and going what really so I got out the brain scans and showed him and he's like wow amazing and it's not that you know I think skepticism is sometimes a product of just not knowing it just doesn't sound possible it's not that you know it's just doesn't sound because I've never heard anything like that it's not within your frame of reference"

Dr. Hamilton discusses the scientific basis of visualization, explaining that the brain can process imagined actions as if they were physically performed. He notes that skepticism often arises from a lack of awareness rather than a denial of the phenomenon, as brain scans can show significant changes in response to vivid mental imagery.

"The chances of a second heart attack within 12 months since someone has had one already if they have a dog is 400 less and it's not just through the exercise it's through a lot of it some of it is through the oxytocin generated through the bonding"

Dr. Chatterjee presents a striking statistic about dog ownership and cardiovascular health. He posits that the significant reduction in the risk of a second heart attack is not solely due to increased exercise but also to the oxytocin released through the bond between humans and their pets.

"The group who had high levels of hostility aggression and anger expressing which you might say are hardened people they'd high levels of hardening of the arteries and the other the group who were softer people they'd normal what you would call soft arteries when you when you controlled in the study for diet and exercise smoking drinking etcetera the only difference really was how you behaved in that half an hour"

Dr. Hamilton describes a study linking marital conflict and cardiovascular health. He highlights that individuals who displayed high levels of hostility and anger showed increased arterial hardening, while those exhibiting softer, more compassionate behaviors had normal arteries, even when other lifestyle factors were controlled.

"The chances of a second heart attack within 12 months since someone has had one already if they have a dog is 400 less and it's not just through the exercise it's through a lot of it some of it is through the oxytocin generated through the bonding"

Dr. Chatterjee presents a striking statistic about dog ownership and cardiovascular health. He posits that the significant reduction in the risk of a second heart attack is not solely due to increased exercise but also to the oxytocin released through the bond between humans and their pets.

"The group who had high levels of hostility aggression and anger expressing which you might say are hardened people they'd high levels of hardening of the arteries and the other the group who were softer people they'd normal what you would call soft arteries when you when you controlled in the study for diet and exercise smoking drinking etcetera the only difference really was how you behaved in that half an hour"

Dr. Hamilton describes a study linking marital conflict and cardiovascular health. He highlights that individuals who displayed high levels of hostility and anger showed increased arterial hardening, while those exhibiting softer, more compassionate behaviors had normal arteries, even when other lifestyle factors were controlled.

"The chances of a second heart attack within 12 months since someone has had one already if they have a dog is 400 less and it's not just through the exercise it's through a lot of it some of it is through the oxytocin generated through the bonding"

Dr. Chatterjee presents a striking statistic about dog ownership and cardiovascular health. He posits that the significant reduction in the risk of a second heart attack is not solely due to increased exercise but also to the oxytocin released through the bond between humans and their pets.

"The group who had high levels of hostility aggression and anger expressing which you might say are hardened people they'd high levels of hardening of the arteries and the other the group who were softer people they'd normal what you would call soft arteries when you when you controlled in the study for diet and exercise smoking drinking etcetera the only difference really was how you behaved in that half an hour"

Dr. Hamilton describes a study linking marital conflict and cardiovascular health. He highlights that individuals who displayed high levels of hostility and anger showed increased arterial hardening, while those exhibiting softer, more compassionate behaviors had normal arteries, even when other lifestyle factors were controlled.