Radio Headspace Harvard’s “Mother of Mindfulness” on the Unbelievable Mind-Body Connection
Aug 17, 2025
Ellen J. Langer, Harvard's first tenured female psychology professor and a pioneer in mindfulness, discusses the powerful mind-body connection. She reveals how our thoughts influence health and aging and shares personal stories illustrating the impact of mindset on healing. The conversation highlights transitioning from mindlessness to mindfulness, emphasizing awareness in daily life. Listeners can explore practical ways to embrace uncertainty, recognize mindlessness, and cultivate a healthier perspective on life.
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Uncertainty Is The Gateway To Mindfulness
- Mindfulness stems from embracing uncertainty because everything is always changing.
- Accepting that you can't know frees attention and reduces fear tied to being expected to have answers.
Honeymoon Meal Sparked Mind‑Body Inquiry
- Ellen Langer ate a mistaken 'pancreas' on her honeymoon and got sick, later linking that memory to her mother's pancreatic metastasis remission.
- That personal contrast launched her inquiry into mind-body unity and healing.
Mind And Body Operate As One System
- Langer argues mind and body are not sequentially separate but simultaneous aspects of one system.
- Changes in one part of the body or mind produce immediate changes throughout the whole person.
