Dr. Ellen Langer

Remember, as I said before, science only gives us probabilities.

So when I have this medicine that I've given to hundreds of people to test the efficacy of the medicine, it's not the case that it works for every single person there.

Is that I won.

And it doesn't matter.

You know, that's what people have to understand.

You engage in it in order to hopefully bring about some event.

But if you're doing it mindfully, you're enjoying the journey anyway.

Well, in mind-body unity, the most recent that my graduate student Peter and Uncle and I recently did.

So we inflict a wound, not a big wound.

because we're not sadists, and the higher-ups wouldn't let us do it anyway.

We were.

Okay, but we inflict a minor wound, and individually, the person, the wounded person, is in front of a clock, and unbeknownst to them, the clock is rigged, and it's going twice as fast as real time, half as fast as real time, or real time.

And the question we're asking is, does that wound heal based on clock time, perceived time, or real time?

And the answer is perceived time.

You know, I mean, just think about it.

Yeah, that they'll heal more quickly.

Yeah, well, just think about it, that when, you know, you ask a doctor, say you break your arm, and you ask the doctor, how long is it going to take to heal?

I don't know how long this takes, but let's make it up.

Four weeks, five weeks, six weeks, I don't know.

Which one do you want?