Happy Positive Thinking Day!
The concept of positive thinking—consciously developing a mental attitude in which you expect good and favorable results—has long been a foundation in many lines of self-help and personal growth. Recent scientific investigations on positive thinking help us to better understand how what we focus on internally can not only support our mental health, but also our physical well-being.
“Intention,” can be thought of as a broader perspective on positive thinking, one which takes into account not only our personal experiences, but also the interconnectedness of our minds and the physical world. In our decades of research IONS has participated in a variety of studies that explore intention and mind-mind, mind-matter interactions.
In honor of Positive Thinking Day, we bring you an interview from our archives: IONS Chief Scientist Dean Radin discussing some of his “intention” research. As one of 13 interviews from our 2006 Shift-in-Action “Intention Downloads” interview series, Dr. Radin talks about a study in which he investigated if chocolate exposed to “good intentions” enhances mood more than unexposed chocolate, as well as a study on distant intention and the aesthetics of ice crystals conducted with Masaru Emoto.
Our work in this field continues; in two upcoming projects Dr. Radin will study the role of intention in affecting the behavior of photons (light). Join us in thinking positively about further unraveling the mystery of intention!