Practice a timeless mind

People with positive perceptions about aging live, on average, seven and a half years longer than those without such perceptions, according to the famous Ohio Study on Aging and Retirement (OLSAR), the work of geriatrician and epidemiologist Becca Levy.

People's perceptions about aging have a greater influence, both positive and negative, on healthy longevity than having low cholesterol, low blood pressure (which increases life expectancy by four years) or a low body mass index (BMI). It conditions longevity even more than not smoking.

In other words, beliefs in the positive aspects of aging strongly influence biology and, therefore, survival.

Ellen Langer, a renowned Harvard psychologist, who is known for her work in the

field of personal control psychology, aging and mindfulness. In his book

Mindfulness: Full Consciousness, Langer addresses how preconceived attitudes and beliefs

influence our experience of aging.

One of his best-known studies, which illustrates his ideas about how our attitudes toward

old age condition us, is the "Counterclockwise Study." In this experiment, Langer gathered a group of elderly men and had them live for a week in an environment that simulated the year 1959. Every detail of the house was designed to reflect that period: the decor, the radio programs, the newspapers, and even the way the participants interacted, pretending to be 20 years younger.

Lager's goal was to test the hypothesis that beliefs and expectations about

aging have a direct impact on how we age physically and psychologically. The results of the study were surprising: many of the men

showed improvements in their mobility, mental acuity, and even their vision and hearing. In

essence, by changing their environment and attitudes, they were able to reverse certain aspects of

aging.

In his book, Langer argues that our beliefs and attitudes toward aging are

deeply conditioned by social stereotypes, and that adopting a more open and conscious mindset (mindfulness) can radically change our experience of

aging. Rather than seeing aging as an inevitable process of decline,

Langer proposes that by practicing mindfulness, we can challenge those stereotypes

and live more active and fulfilling lives as we age.

His approach highlights the power of the mind over the body and how conscious awareness

can improve quality of life, especially in old age.