Can the power of your thoughts help defy aging? Could your mind help improve your eyesight or even heal wounds faster?

These ideas might seem far-fetched, but our guest, Harvard Professor Ellen Langer, has spent four decades uncovering the real science behind this.

In this episode, discover how to harness your mind-body connection to enhance your well-being.

Ellen Langer is an American professor of psychology at Harvard University. In 1981, she became the first woman ever to be tenured in psychology at Harvard.

Prof. Langer studies the illusion of control, decision-making, aging, and mindfulness theory.

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Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

01:48 Quickfire questions

04:34 The mind and body should be understood as one unit

05:42 The counterclockwise study

06:51 Chambermaid exercise study

09:33 What is Mindfulness?

10:59 All of the misery we experience is a function of our mindlessness

14:47 Mindful optimism

23:12 Everything should be different, every day of your life

25:33 How Ellen approaches a simple eyesight test

28:21 We have more control over our health and lives than we think…

33:35 Placebos could be our strongest medicines…

39:00 Blood sugar study results

44:50 How to approach mindfulness

54:05 Summary

Mentioned in today’s episode:

Ageing as a mindset: A counterclockwise experiment to rejuvenate older adults sponsored by Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

Mind-set matters: Exercise and the placebo effect from Psychological Science

The Mindful Body and Mindfulness, two books by Prof. Langer

Episode transcripts are available here.

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Aging and longevity reimagined: Is mindfulness the secret?

ZOE Science & Nutrition