Your Body Follows What Your Mind Believes: Mindfulness As Medicine | Dr. Ellen Langer x Rich Roll

Rich Roll

Feb 12, 2024

Episode description

Dr. Ellen Langer joins Rich to discuss how you can harness mindfulness to take control of your health. To read more about Dr. Langer and peruse the full show notes, go here👉🏾https://bit.ly/richroll813

✌🏼🌱 - Rich

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Dr. Ellen Langer will be hosting a private, intimate Couples Retreat in Puerto Vallarta Mexico March 9-14, 2026. For information please email Randy Lennon at randy@lennon.media.

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FILMED AND EDITED BY BLAKE CURTIS, DAN DRAKE, ERIC JACKOWITZ AND MORGAN MCRAE
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TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:20 Novel Studies and Unconventional Psychology
00:03:36 Influence of Smell on Eating Behavior
00:06:47 Mind-Body Unity and Psychology in Health
00:13:28 The Illusion of Control and Power of Belief
00:14:33 Mindlessness and Mindfulness
00:19:48 Mindfulness and Science
00:20:31 The Impact of Beliefs on Physical Manifestations
00:21:16 Empowerment through Agency and Control
00:22:38 The Power of Language and Communication
00:23:23 Understanding the Concept of Remission and Cure
00:25:41 Attention to Symptom Variability and Mindfulness
00:32:21 Sponsor Break
00:33:27 The Illusion of Control and Transcending Judgments
00:40:10 Abundance Mindset vs. Scarcity Mindset
00:41:25 The Scarcity Mindset
00:43:47 Embracing Uncertainty
00:46:03 Making Decisions
00:46:55 Regret and Subjective Labels
00:48:44 Mindfulness and Outcomes
00:55:25 Counterclockwise Study
00:57:16 Perception of Aging
01:00:25 The Bucket List
01:02:51 Influence of Perceived Time on Health
01:04:52 Mindfulness and Fatigue
01:08:00 Reframing Daily Activities - Chambermaid Study
01:12:24 Power of Belief and Placebo Effect - Eyesight Studies
01:18:02 Defensive Pessimism
01:20:28 The Contagiousness of Mindfulness
01:23:07 Influence of Mindfulness in Autism
01:25:05 Alcoholism and Mindfulness
01:27:59 Mindfulness and Energy Force
01:34:58 Evolution of Consciousness and Mindfulness
01:36:50 Reimagining Hospitals and Education
01:40:41 The Mindful School
01:41:49 Future of Langer's class
01:45:01 Closing Thoughts
01:45:47 Credits

* * * * *

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Hi I'm Rich Roll. I'm a vegan ultra-endurance athlete, author, podcaster, public speaker & wellness evangelist. But mainly I'm a dad of four. If you want to know more, visit my website or check out these two the NY Times articles:
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Mindsip insights from this episode:

Make decisions and invest energy to ensure success

Since you can't predict outcomes, it's better to simply make a decision and then invest your energy in making that choice work out well.

#decision-making

#resilience

Live younger to reverse biological aging markers

The 'Counterclockwise' study showed that men in their 70s and 80s reversed biological markers of aging by living for a week as if they were 20 years younger.

#aging

#biological-age

Recognize time perception's impact on blood sugar levels

In a study with diabetics, blood sugar levels followed the time shown on a rigged clock rather than the actual time that passed.

#diabetes

#glucose

Reframe fatigue as a mental construct to enhance endurance

Studies show that when people expect to do more exercise, like 200 jumping jacks instead of 100, they get tired much later, suggesting fatigue is largely mental.

#fatigue

#mind

Reframe work as exercise to improve health outcomes

When hotel chambermaids were told their daily work was good exercise, they lost weight and their blood pressure dropped without any change in their actual activity.

#blood-pressure

#exercise

Reframe cancer language from 'remission' to 'cured' for empowerment

Using the word 'remission' for cancer keeps patients in a stressful state, whereas calling it 'cured' would be psychologically healthier and more empowering.

#cancer

#stress

Recognize psychological cues to prevent cold symptoms

In one study, people who were primed with cold-related cues like videos of sneezing developed cold symptoms without the introduction of a virus.

#mind

#stress

Investigate stress level as a predictor of cancer progression

A proposed study hypothesizes that a patient's stress level will predict the course of their cancer, independent of their genetics, treatment, or nutrition.

#cancer

#stress

Notice symptom variability to enhance health control

Actively noticing when a chronic symptom is better or worse and asking 'why' can lead to significant health improvements for conditions like MS and Parkinson's.