Human beings are driven by emotions. Emotion was defined by William James in 1884 as “a state of mind manifesting itself through sensible changes in the body.” There are positive emotions and there are also negative emotions.
John A. Schindler in his book ‘How to live 365 days a year’ says: ‘In any emotion, there are external manifestations, that is, changes that one can see exhibited externally on the surface of the body.
Therefore, negative emotions like anger, anxiety, fear, discouragement, longing, etc. induce disease. On the contrary, positive emotions such as love, joy, hope, etc. cures many diseases.
We could read a lot of news from the newspapers that are unbelievable.
Here is one such event published in the March 4, 2013 edition of Time of India.
A Mr. Dharmarajan, a 70-year-old Sri Lankan Tamil, Vavuniya, was bedridden due to a long-term ailment. He has lost track of his 55-year-old sister.
Thevathu Rukmini Devi has been missing for the last 26 years. Suddenly, one day she heard the news that her sister is alive. Hearing this news, she just jumped out of her bed and started walking.
When he had almost given up hope of meeting his sister, he heard the good news which acted as a tonic and the news acted as an energy booster. Her sister had been living in Madurai, southern India, in a refugee camp for many years after escaping from Sri Lanka.
A positive emotion, true love cured her illness when the doctors failed.
Such is the power of positive emotion.
Let’s go to Indian history. Tavernier, in the course of his visit to India, had narrated his experiences in a book, Travels, which was first published in AD 1677. One of the incidents he mentioned in his book is worth noting.
The Raja of Vellore was killed in a battle with the King of Vispur. Eleven of his wives resolved to die with him. Knowing this, the General of Vispur imprisoned them all together. They told the warden at the time: ‘Imprisonment is useless. We will die in three hours.’
After three hours, they all lay dead on the ground and had left with their husband, without any signs of violence on their bodies.
It is for pure love, they sacrificed their life.
We come across one more news recently published in the Times of India dated December 25, 2016.
A couple married for 64 years spent their last moments together holding hands tightly before dying just hours apart in neighboring hospital beds.
Dolores Winstead, 83, and her husband Trent Winstead, 88, of Tennessee, died at Saint Thomas West Hospital in Nashville, five weeks before their 64th wedding anniversary.
Dolores suddenly began to complain of a headache and became ill. She suffered a severe brain aneurysm and needed to be placed on a ventilator as, along with her husband, her condition began to deteriorate. Hospital staff placed them in the same room and the pair were photographed holding hands side by side. Dolores died first, and Trent blew her a kiss when he was told she had passed away before dying himself a few hours later.
Many amazing incidents like the above can be compiled that will make us understand the true meaning of life.
True, positive emotions inspire everyone and create history.
Let’s develop positive emotions to enrich our lives.
