27 Jan Negativity Bias (Yoga in Heston & Hounslow)
Cognitive scientists say that we have developed what’s called a negativity bias. Our amygdala (an almond-sized part of the brain) reacts more to negative than positive stimuli.
What is negative contaminates the positive far more easily than the positive contaminates the negative. There are studies that show four positive experiences are equivalent to one negative one!
Even other animals have a negativity bias. If a rat is run through a maze and at the end of a given pathway given an electric shock, the rat won’t go down that pathway again. But run the rat through a maze and at the end give it food, it will need several different trials before it learns.
Negativity bias emerged in our evolutionary past in a much different and harsher environment from our current first world one. Despite that it continues to operate today.
Even in our relatively safe and comfortable modern situations, we react as though they’re life or death situations and often expect and fear the worst.
A highly and widely recommended way to address negativity bias is through the practice of meditation.
Mantra meditation is s very effective way to relax the mind and undo the stress an anxiety causes by our negativity bias.
See this post for more info: https://www.sefalisyoga.com/how-to-do-mantra-meditation/
Cultivating positive emotions is an effective to counter the negativity bias.
Click for more : https://www.sefalisyoga.com/the-power-of-cultivating-positive-emotions/
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