The Neuroscience Behind Being Happy

In recent years, several studies on the neuroscience behind being happy have been conducted. In fact, neurologists and psychologists have examined the brain conditions associated with the feeling of happiness. In the same way, researchers also examine their relationship to well-being.

For many years, research has shown that our experiences transform our brains. In addition, they can also change the nervous system.

Currently, researchers are focusing on the neuroscience behind how we can utilize the plasticity of the brain. In particular, they will find out how to cultivate and maintain positive emotions.

Positive emotions are the keys to happiness

The ability to maintain positive emotions is an important component of psychological well-being. The benefits of positive emotions are well documented. For example, studies have shown that positive emotions can improve physical health and promote trust and compassion. In the same way, they can compensate and / or alleviate depressive symptoms.

Researchers have also found that positive emotions help people recover from stress. Furthermore, they can even counteract the effects of negative emotions. Consequently, positive emotions promote a better social connection.

The inability to maintain positive emotions over time is a hallmark of depression and other psychopathologies. But until very recently, we understood very little about the mechanisms that allow us to maintain positive emotional responses.

A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience in July 2015 found that long-term activation of the ventral striatum, a brain group, is directly related to the maintenance of positive emotions and rewards.

The good news is that we can control the activation of the ventral striatum. In other words, it is in our hands to experience positive emotions.

The neuroscience of being happy

According to the study we mentioned, people with higher levels of persistent ventral striatum activity show higher psychological well-being levels and lower cortisol levels.

The researchers from a previous study identified that enjoying things like a beautiful sunset and the positive emotions around it can help improve well-being. They wanted to identify how and why some people are able to maintain positive emotions.

There are many good benefits to identifying a specific region of the brain that is associated with maintaining positive emotions. For example, it simplifies the visualization of what may be a switch that allows us to activate this region consciously.

In this new study, the researchers analyzed the neuroscience of being happy, which studies the maintenance of positive emotions. To do so, they conducted two experiments on humans. First, they set up a task with reward responses that a functional magnetic resonance apparatus monitored.

The second experiment consisted of a trial that measured the emotional responses of receiving a reward. The experiments correctly predicted the duration of the positive emotional responses in the real world.

The duration of positive emotions is important

A closer look at these dynamics shows a better understanding of the brain’s behavioral connections. In this regard, we should note that according to several authors, it is important to consider not only how many emotions you experience, but also how long these emotions last.

The exact mechanism that creates emotional instances in the brain in terms of seconds, minutes and hours remains a mystery. However, researchers say that these findings suggest that the duration of activity in certain brain circuits, even for relatively short periods, can predict the persistence of a person’s positive emotions only minutes or hours later.

Activation of ventral striatum

The results of this study contribute to a better understanding of how mental disorders such as depression manifest in the brain. In the same way, the findings may also help explain why some people are more cynical than others. On the other hand, it may also explain why some people tend to see the glass half full.

According to the author of the study, the neural pattern they observed, especially in the ventral striatum, also predicted higher levels of well-being in other studies. According to them, kindness and compassion for others can help increase one’s ability to enjoy positive emotions. In the same way, kindness and compassion aim to cultivate certain forms of positive emotion.

On the other hand, according to the authors, methodological innovations of this study can be used to investigate whether the effect of simple forms of meditation can improve lasting positive emotions in real contexts, as well as sustained activation of ventral striatum measured in the laboratory using brain dimension technology. In any case, they can help develop our understanding of the neuroscience of being happy.