AFTER A STORM COMES A RAINBOW
Kindness helps us see a brighter world, explains scientist and author David Hamilton
It is known that sadness washes the colour out of life, metaphorically speaking. Scientifically, negative emotions affect the processing of colours in the brain, causing them to appear less vibrant. Negative emotions cause us to experience many things more negatively, yet little is known about the impact of positive emotions.
New research** shines a light on the impact of kindness on perception, suggesting that it helps us perceive positive things more positively. Psychologists at the University of Wuppertal in Germany asked volunteers to perform sessions of the loving kindness meditation, where the practitioner focuses on kind and compassionate thoughts about themselves and others. Before and after a seven-week meditation course, participants in the study were asked to rate the emotional valence of words. After the programme, the volunteers rated positive words more highly and recognised positive words faster. The phrase ‘a kind word’ takes on even more meaning.
Join ‘Psychologies’ kindness tsar David Hamilton live on Facebook @Psychologiesmagazine for his free kindness challenge and monthly broadcasts – next on 21 July at 12pm. Catch up via Psychologies TV at tinyurl.com/psykind. For more, join the ‘Psychologies’ Life Leap Club, free when you subscribe to the magazine.‘the Little Book Of Kindness’ (Octopus, £6.99) and ‘The Five Side Effects Of Kindness’ (Hay House, £12.99) by David Hamilton are out now