Imagination is what nurtures creativity and allows you to find solutions to problems. In 2018, the results of a study of fear and imagination were announced. Scientists have concluded that simple fantasies help get rid of extreme anxiety.
The power of imagination
Researchers believe that imagination is at the core of what makes humans different from the rest of the animal world.
Existing studies have shown that fantasies can affect the mind and body in very specific ways.
"The imaginary action is perceived by the brain as real," - Canadian scientists came to this conclusion in 2009. The results of another study published in a biological journal in 2013 show that the imagination of sounds or images changes their perception in the real world.
American research now proves that fantasies are as real to the brain as physical experience.
Research confirms that imagination is a neurological reality that can affect the brain and body. For phobias or anxiety disorders, psychologists may recommend "exposure therapy." This approach is aimed at reducing the sensitivity of a person to stimuli that cause a fear reaction. Therapy helps a person to separate these stimuli from feelings of threat and possible negative consequences.
In a new study, scientists used functional MRI to scan participants' brains. Experts evaluated brain activity in both real and imaginary situations. The goal was to see if imagination could help get rid of negative associations.
New discoveries bridge the long-standing gap between clinical practice and theoretical biology. The research team recruited 68 healthy participants, who, in their opinion, associated a certain sound with electric shock.
Then they divided the participants into 3 groups. In the first group, participants heard a real sound. In the second group, they had to imagine that they heard an unpleasant sound. In the third group, the participants presented pleasant sounds - birds singing and rain. None of the participants received further electric shocks.
Imagining a threat can help get rid of fears.
Researchers evaluated people who imagined sounds using functional MRI. The team also measured their physiological responses by placing sensors on the skin. Scientists found that brain activity was very similar in participants who imagined sound and really heard it.
Volunteers activated brain regions that process sound, signals of fear and anxiety. If participants repeatedly heard or imagined sounds, they ceased to be afraid. The process has destroyed the connection between this sound and an unpleasant experience.
Such a phenomenon is known in psychology as "desensitization of nerve connections."
In the control group, in which the participants presented only pleasant sounds, other areas of the brain lit up during functional MRI scans. Therefore, the negative relationship between sound and electric shock did not disappear.
The real and imaginary effects of the threat did not differ at the entire level of the brain. Imagination worked as well as real experience.
Many people suggest that the best way to reduce fear or negative emotions is to present something good. In reality, the most effective strategy is to fantasize real danger.
It is recommended to imagine a threat, but without negative consequences.
What do researchers advise?
"Real fears can be eliminated with a simple imagination" - the main conclusion of the researchers. The daily presentation of a real threat can reduce the response to it in the long run.
Fear of spiders, dogs, heights - all this can be cured by the imagination. If the desired result is not, you should consult a therapist. Long-term self-medication of anxiety or fear is not recommended.
