Stiinta moderna a atins era iluminarii.

Noua cale a gandirii este entuziasmanta, in timp ce vechea perceptie de separare a corpului de minte isi pierde forta. Constientizarea faptului ca emotiile, senzatiile si puterea gandului au un impact direct asupra sanatatii fizice, a prins teren in acceptiunea comuna. Cercetarile care studiaza comunicarea moleculara intre minte si corp au demonstrat evolutia psihoneuroimunologiei care se refera, in principal la stiinta neuronala a sistemului nervos central, a sistemului neuroendocrin, sistemului imunitar si a conexiunilor intre ele. Sistemul nervos central este o colectie enorma de conexiuni in tot corpul, care incorporeaza sistemul simpatic si cel parasimpatic. Sistemul nervos permite creierului sa trimita informatii in tot corpul, utilizand componenti chimici numiti "substante informative". Inainte se credea ca, de fapt, creierul ar trimite aceste substante informative pentru a raspunde stimulilor corpului si ca aceasta comunicare ar fi in sens unic. De curand s-a constatat ca sistemul nervos central controleaza mecanismele de aparare a corpului si de aceea se presupune ca "orice gand, orice emotie, orice idee si orice convingere are o consecinta neorochimica". Inainte se credea ca mesagerii chimici ai corpului, neuropeptidele se gasesc doar in creier, dar cercetatorii incepand cu Candace Pert au aratat ca neuropeptidele in ambii pereti celulari ai creierului si in sistemul imunitar si ca aceste substante informative influenteaza atat emotiile noastre cat si fiziologia noastra. Celulele din corp au la suprafata lor receptori care actioneaza ca un disc satelitar , ce primeste substante informative care sunt eliberate de creier pentru a fi reeliberate in anumite ocazii ca mesaje ale sosirii momentelor, situatiilor asemanatoare. Candace Pert sustine ca peptidele pot furniza solutii pentru orice problema medicala. Acesti mesageri complecsi , calatorind de-alungul corpului furnizeaza informatii vitale si, de multe ori, un feedback instantaneu. Vi s-a intamplat sa fiti implicati intr-un incident stradal si ati remarcat cum corpul vostru tremura din cauza eliberarii adrenalinei si cum dupa ce momentul a trecut , ati inceput sa va calmati trimitand mesajul receptorilor din corpul vostru ca totul este in ordine. Acesta este un simplu exemplu despre rapiditatea transmiterii unei informatii de la gand la corpul fizic: noi creem emotiile si acest lucru impune creierului nostru sa emite stimuli. Descoperirea facuta de Candace Pert ca neuropeptidele si neurotransmitatorii sunt prezenti si pe peretii celulelor sistemului imunitar, demonstreaza ca emotiile si sanatatea sunt profund interdependente. Cercetatorii au indicat ca in sistemul nostru nervos central exista o uniune indestructibila intre emotiile noastre ( incluzand toate formele de stres din viata noastra, fie pozitiv, fie negativ) si ceea ce regleaza sistemul endocrin si imunitar. Aceasta subliniaza importanta exprimarii emotiilor fie verbal, fie fizic in mod sanatos. Cand emotii puternice genereaza frica, furie, fara a fi exprimate intr-un mod sanatos, raspunsul natural al corpului este dat de sistemul nervos simpatic ( sindromul "lupta" sau "fugi"). In aceasta ordine, acumularea acestor emotii stresante produc un exces de epinefrina si excesul acestei substante cauzeaza dereglari chimice care creeaza slabirea intregului sistem imunitar, crescand posibilitatile imbolnavirii. Putem spune ca gandurile, cuvintele, emotiile si corpul fizic sunt sinergic legate. Gandul va fi exprimat in unde electromagnetice care trimit mesajul neuropeptidelor, de aici este trimis sistemului nervos central care la randul sau reproduce rezultatul in corp. Un sistem de convingeri e un gand atat de puternic incat poate fi retransmis neuropeptidelor prin sistemul de mesaje al corpului care la randul sau reactioneaza la emotiile sistemului de convingeri. Cheia e in a schimba mesajele trimise in corp: acesta e modul in care schimbam convingerile noastre

"Exista, la cele mai multe dintre celelalte animale, urme ale unor stari sufletesti care se deosebesc foarte limpede la oameni, caci blandetea si salbaticia, gingasia si asprimea, curajul si timiditatea, teama si indrazneala, impetuozitatea si firea rautacioasa, dar si o inteligenta care implica discernamant sunt, multe dintre ele, similitudini, la fel cum spuneam despre partile corpului." Aristote

Emotions can have a large impact on our memories. The limbic system, which controls emotions and motivation, is also tightly connected with many other parts of the brain. More specifically, the hippocampus and the amygdala--parts of the limbic system--are particularly involved in emotions, and interestingly they are also very important in the formation of memories. Although there is much speculation, the underlying reason why emotions affect memories so profoundly has not yet been completely resolved.

It has been found that emotions affect the memory system by helping memories become more strongly encoded; this is due to the engagement of the amygdala. This stronger encoding can also be explained by the interactions between the emotional and memory areas of the brain. Research as found that they interact rather systematically and consistently during formation of emotionallycharged memories. Researchers speculate that this is because regions that are activated in the encoding of emotionally-charged memories are also involved when someone processes the meaning of images. However, when one looks at emotionally-neutral situations, the parts of the brain that handle perceptual processing are used.

The different types of emotions (positive or negative) also contribute to what kind of memories are formed. When people experience positive emotional situations, they remember the situation with a broader viewpoint and remember more central details. Those that experience negatively-charged situation tend to narrow their attention, and thus encode a more focused memory, and remember more peripheral details.

However, while emotional memories are more strongly encoded, they are more susceptible to the encoding of wrong information, which leads to forming false memories. This is especially true when someone experiences negative emotional content. Research has shown that when someone experiences a situation with a negative-emotional charge, they are more susceptible to forming false memories. Interestingly, this research has also found that adults are more likely than children to form false memories when faced with a negative emotional situation. Researchers hypothesize that this is due to the reliance of different brain structures--adults rely on "the meaning of what happened" while children rely more on "what actually happened". This research, however, did not address false memories associated with misleading. More research has found that when someone experiences a

negative emotionally charged situation, and then given misleading (or leading) questions, they are more susceptible to forming false memories. Even those who experience a positive emotionally charged situation are vulnerable to the creation of false memories when asked misleading questions.

The seeming contradiction, that these memories are more strongly encoded, yet more susceptible to false information can be explained through hormones. When people experience stress, adrenaline is released, which helps in the encoding of information. However, long periods of stress lead to the secretion of glucocorticoids, which in high doses can harm the hippocampus. Those who experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder have been found to have a smaller hippocampus, and it has been suggested that when people have emotional memories that cannot be controlled, it may be due to the reduction in the hippocampus's size.