Ever thought about your thoughts? In what ways can they impact you? On average we think between 60,000-80,000 thoughts a day. This averages to 2900 thoughts per hour. Now, that is a big number. A lot of thoughts we have there. Have you ever considered if they did have an impact on you, the impact would definitely be tremendous.
I am sure you must have heard or read one of these quotes somewhere in your life; “You are what you think..” “Think Positive!” “Thoughts impact your life.” “If you think bad, bad things will happen.”
We have all encountered such words of advice from our seniors, parents, books, social media, peers, Instagram and so on. But, how many times have we ever sat down and given a thought to this whole idea of thoughts? Why are they considered so important and why do seemingly influential and knowledgeable people advocate them so much?
This article is about the science behind these sayings. Indeed, thoughts are powerful and indeed they do impact your life. And indeed, thinking positive thoughts is good for you and negative thoughts are bad for you.
Thoughts are Real
According to the infamous Psychiatrist and Brain Disorders Specialist, Dr. Daniel Amen, our thoughts that come and go from our mind are very much real. There is the 3-step process that occurs in your brain when you think a thought:
- You have a thought
- Your brain releases chemicals
- An electrical transmission goes across your brain that brings the thought into your consciousness.
Therefore, you need to be clear about one thing from today onwards; thoughts are real. Thoughts have a direct impact on your feelings and behaviours. Next time you read “Think Positive”, you will know better whether to dismiss this advice as mumbo jumbo or to actually take it to heart.
For simplicity sake, lets assume we have two kinds of thoughts; good and bad. Good being happy, joyful, hopeful and positive thoughts where as bad being negative and self-defeating thoughts.
It is imperative for us to know what happens to us when we think a thought. Ofcourse it should be, we think up to 3000 thoughts an hour. And if those things impact us, im sure we’d want to know their effects and how to control them.
Whenever you have a bad thought; which could be sad, angry, regretful etc., your brain and body react to it physiologically. Bad thoughts lead to the release of negative chemicals in your brain. These chemicals then activate your Limbic System. This is, in simple terms, that part of the brain, which deals with emotions and motivations. This results in your mind and body to, what we call “feeling bad”.
When measured in labs, researchers have pointed certain physiological responses to negative thoughts. Whenever you feel mad,
- Your muscles get tensed up
- Heart beats faster
- Palms sweat more
- You feel dizzier
- Blood pressure goes up
Similarly the opposite is true when you have a good, positive thought;
- Your muscles relax
- Heart and breath rate becomes calm and slow
- Hands become drier
- Blood pressure goes down
There are many explanations for this. Dr Amen simply suggests that thoughts affect each and every cell in your body. This is possibly the reason why patients of depression or anxiety develop physical symptoms of pains/illnesses, which are also called somatic symptoms. Basically, when you keep thinking a negative series of thoughts, eventually you will begin to develop visible physical negative side effects of it. For example, when people get emotionally upset they almost immediately develop corresponding physical symptoms like headaches or stomach-aches. I know, from my own experience that I feel pointless stomach pains before a stressful event like exams. Hence there is another thing we should be cautious about and that is “Thoughts are very powerful”.
How to Use These Thoughts to Your Advantage?
A hack that you can start using from today to feel better, physically and emotionally, is simply to “think about good things.” because when you are able to do this, you will feel better.
Laughter therapy today is one of the most fun ways of treating big illnesses, both mental and physical. This therapy was first discovered by Norman Cousins. He was diagnosed with ankylospondylitis. The doctors gave up and informed him that he would have to live in unbearable pain until he died. Norman, however, was a man of positive thoughts. So instead of living in pain and complaining all life, he checked in to a hotel and hired every funny movie he could find. He then watched them over and over again laughing as hard and loud as he could. After just six months of his self-inflicted laughter therapy, his illness was completely gone. The doctors were amazed to see him cured!
This episode spurred research in to Endorphins. These are chemicals that the brain releases when you laugh (or feel good). They have the same tranquilizing effect on the body as heroin or morphine, plus they also build your immune system.
So next time you feel upset about trivial matters, simply watch a funny YouTube video, an episode from your favourite comedy program or spend time with your funniest friends. Try making a list of things you can do daily that will make you laugh, and share it with us!
How True Are Your Thoughts?
This is the most important section of this article. And possibly the most important advice one can give / receive when it comes to thoughts. Dr Amen pleads to his patients that they do not have to believe every thought that comes to their minds. Why? Because not every thought you think is true. The sad reality is that when you leave a negative thought unchallenged, you end up believing it. Therefore, it is very important that every time a bad thought arises you challenge it. For example “My teacher hates me.” – such a thought can be easily challenged by counter thoughts like “Maybe today is her bad day. She is after all a human too with problems in life.” I will go into more details regarding identifying and controlling these automatic negative thoughts in the next writing, inshaAllah.
Scientists know that the pre-frontal cortex is responsible for rational thinking and problem solving, however, from where do these false, self-defeating thoughts arise is still not clearly defined. Dr Amen calls such negative thoughts ANT’s (Automatic Negative Thoughts).
However, as a Muslim I think we ought to know where these thoughts come from. They are whispers of the Devil (shaytan). And as Muslims, we must also know that they can effect us adversely, which is why our Creator has enlightened us with the most powerful ways to counter them. One of the most effective techniques that you can use to prevent these automatic negative thoughts from affecting you is reciting the Surah Nas (Last chapter of the Quran) and invoking help from the Creator Himself.
- Say: I seek refuge with the Lord and Cherisher of Mankind,
- The King of Mankind,
- The Allah (for judge) of Mankind,-
- From the mischief of the Whisperer (of Evil), who withdraws (after his whisper),-
- (The same) who whispers into the hearts of Mankind,-
- Among Jinns and among men.
From this succinct surah, Allah lets us know that the Devil, whispers a thought, withdraws, and then comes back again to whisper it to you. And it keeps on happening on repeat. Moreover the last ayah (verse) tells us that these thoughts come not just from the jinns (invisible beings) but also from humans. Can you think of a time when someone said something to you that upset you? Although now you realise what they said wasn’t true? Well this is possibly how humans too can sow the same seeds, knowingly or unknowingly, that lead to creation of negative thoughts in our heads.
So, again, do not believe every stupid thought that comes to mind as true. Challenge it with facts and positivity. And on top of it all, simply recite this easy and short surah to protect yourself from the adversity of such ANTs.
The purpose of the Devils survival is nothing more than to misguide humanity from the path of truth. And the easiest way for him to make humans less productive and more self-defeating is by making them believe worthless, false, negative thoughts as true.
As a human, its easy to assume that “bad things always happen to me.” or “I will never be able to win that championship.” However, the problem is, we fail to look at the practical facts and reality around us. I ignore all the good things that happen to me, I falsely generalize bad things as always happening to me and I also ignore the fact that it has been humans, like myself, who have won championships in the past, hence I ignore the possibility that there is always a chance for me to achieve it.
In the next article I will write in detail regarding how to recognize and fight the ANTs infesting our minds.
Summary:
We all experience a series of positive and negative thoughts every day. Research tells us that thoughts are real. They impact how we feel physically & mentally and how we behave. Thoughts are also very powerful because of their direct link to our mind and body responses. Positive thoughts lead to the release of positive chemicals like endorphins that make us feel good where as bad thoughts release negative chemicals in the brain that make us feel bad. Not every thought that comes to our mind is true. And if we leave a negative thought unchallenged, we end up believing it. Laughter helps people overcome many ailments. This is why people who are generally happy and laughing rarely get sick while miserable or complaining ones are usually ill. Source of automatic negative thoughts is unsure in the academic world, but as a Muslim I know they are from our open enemy; shaytan. Their existence and antidote is provided to us by our Creator in Surah Nas.
Possible Action Steps
- Memorize and begin reciting Surah Nas.
- Begin identifying and challenging any ANT that comes to mind.
- Dedicate some of your daily time to activities that make you laugh or feel good
- Try to replace negative with positive thoughts.
- Avoid constant complaining.
- Practice Gratitude; as it’s the strongest positive emotion, hence has the strongest positive impact on us as a person.
- Don’t believe every stupid statement that you think or someone says.
