Science of Happinesss
Richard Davidson calls happiness “a kind of a placeholder for a constellation of positive emotional states . . . associated with an active embracing of the world. . . . ”[i] But it is not just an indefinite, ambiguous feeling. Davidson says it’s a physical state of the brain, one that can be induced deliberately.[ii] Scientifically speaking, that physical state is characterized by increased activity and circuitry in the left prefrontal cortex, as identified by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalograms.[iii]
In fact, some people are genetically predisposed to happiness by virtue of busy prefrontal cortexes. Research on infants has provided confirmation. Davidson measured left prefrontal cortex activity in babies less than a year old with their mothers present, and then again when their mothers briefly left the room. Some babies cried hysterically the minute the mother left. Others were more resilient. The babies with the higher activity in the left prefrontal cortex were the ones who didn’t cry.[iv] As many parents can attest, some babies are just born to be happy.
But neuroscientists also know, as we learned in the chapter on neuroplasticity, the brain is highly plastic. The brain rewires itself in response to experiences, and Davidson’s research has shown just how plastic it can be. His study of Buddhist monks in a meditative state found activity in the prefrontal cortex shot up at a dramatic rate, a rate he had never seen before. Science continues to delve into the physical underpinnings of the state of happiness, confirming that happiness is a trait or state that can be physically measured and learned.
A happy brain can also have a powerful physical influence over the rest of the body. People who score on the upper ends of psychological tests for happiness develop about 50 percent more antibodies than average in response to flu vaccines.[v] Other researchers have found related mental states such as hopefulness, optimism, and contentment “appear to reduce the risk or limit severity of cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, diabetes, hypertension, colds, and upper respiratory infections as well.”[vi]
[i] Michael D. Lemonick, “The Biology of Joy,” Time, January 9, 2005, accessed September 20, 2020, http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1015863,00.html
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] Ibid.
[iv] Ibid.
[v] Ibid.
[vi] Ibid.
[i] Ryan J. Foley, "Scientist Inspired by Dalai Lama Studies Happiness," The Oklahoman, May 14, 2010, accessed January 29, 2018, www.newsok/article/feed/158821