She took questions emailed in from listeners everywhere. Oct 26, 2014 last spring, langer and a postdoctoral researcher, deborah phillips, were chatting when the subject of the counterclockwise study came up. In the power of mindful learning, ellen langer uses her innovative theory of mindulness, introduced in her influential earlier book, to dramatically enhance the way we learn. Before the counterclockwise study, you consulted geriatricians and discovered that there are. Eminent harvard psychologist, mother of positive psychology. In the years since it was first published, this influential book based on the highly innovative findings of social psychologist dr. Harvard university, department of psychology, 33 kirkland street cambridge, ma 028 contact. Nov 05, 20 ellen langer is an artist and harvard psychology professor who authored 11 books on the illusion of control, perceived control, successful aging and decisionmaking. Bruce grierson wrote this weeks cover story about ellen langer, a harvard psychologist who has conducted experiments that involve manipulating environments to turn back subjects perceptions of their own age. In this thoughtprovoking book, her research has been translated for the lay listener. Theyve proposed a film about the study at the monastery, and jennifer aniston has agreed to coproduce the movie and play the 34yearold langer.
Langer and her team of researchers at harvard made its mark for its unique concept of mindfulness, thoroughly adapted to contemporary life in the west. Counterclockwise research counterclockwise makes a strong case for the influence of expectation and belief on how our bodies function, on how we heal, and even how we age. The project would attempt to shrink womens tumors by shifting their mental perspective back to before they were diagnosed. In the 1970s, langer and her graduate students embarked on a quest to discover the biological impact of acting as if it were twenty years earlier on a group of elderly men.
She has been described as the mother of mindfulness and has written extensively on the illusion of control, mindful aging, stress, decisionmaking, and health. Expectations and beliefs are the center piece of ellen langer s counter clockwise. Last spring, langer and a postdoctoral researcher, deborah phillips, were chatting when the subject of the counterclockwise study came up. Counterclockwise, her latest book, will change the way you think about your health for the better. Ellen langers experiments have shown that mental attitudes might reverse. In the process she gives us a clear, thorough understanding of the selffulfilling prophecy in action.
She is the author of eleven books and more than two hundred research articles written for general and. Counterclockwise and millions of other books are available for instant access. Nov 09, 2015 ellen langer on mindful learning and the power of possibility. Mindful health and the power of possibility is to be made into a major motion picture starring jennifer aniston as langer. Ellen langers work has been an inspiration to me for years. The hefty price for accepting information uncritically is that we go through life unaware that what weve accepted as impossible may in fact be quite possible.
Her most influential work is counterclockwise, published in 2009. Among other honors, langer is the recipient of a guggenheim fellowship and the apa award for distinguished contributions to psychology in the public interest. Mar 11, 2019 as harvard social psychologist ellen langer discovered in her now famous counterclockwise study, the key is the human mind. Now in development, the film has been picked up by dreamworks studios, screenwriter paul bernbaum hollywoodland, 2006 has written a script, and the producers are looking for a director. Extremely practical, langer brings research and professional insight into many critical aspects of our lives and how our mental models influence our health. Ellen langer is a professor in the psychology department at harvard university where she was the first woman to be tenured in the department. The group who went first stayed for one week and were asked to pretend they were young men, once again living in the 1950s. Langers experiment of the 1959s living environment is enough to say to us how much we can control in our lives and how much control we give away in many ways because of our often mindless. Radical in its implications, this original and important work may change forever the views we hold about the nature of learning. Ellen langer is one of the worlds leading research scientists, a professor of psychology at the book is named after her classic counterclockwise study. Langer studies the illusion of control, decisionmaking, aging, and mindfulness theory. In this thoughtprovoking book, her research has been translated for the lay reader. Immensely readable and riveting, counterclockwise offers a transformative and bold new paradigm. The goal of this book is to convince you to open your mind and take back what is rightfully, sensibly, importantly yours.
The studies show that older people habitually think themselves older. Take a smart, creative social scientist, without any respect for conventional wisdom and you get ellen langer. A hopeful and groundbreaking book by an author who has changed how people all over the world think and feel, counterclockwise is sure to join mindfulness as a standard source on newcentury science and healing. Everything you need to know about counter clockwise movie. Ellen langer, phd, professor of psychology at harvard university, is the author the psychology of control, mindfulness, the power of mindful learning, on becoming an artist, and counterclockwise. Counterclockwise research the langer mindfulness institute. She is the recipient of a guggenheim fellowship and numerous awards, including the award for distinguished contributions to. The book cites the evidence of studies done by ellen langer and colleagues as well as others and starts you on the road towards being mindful. I would like to email jennifer cory does she have any contact info i can have. Over the more than 30 intervening years, langer had. The art of living mindfully the chronicle of higher education. Learning without this awareness, has severely limited uses and often sets on up for failure.
Mindful health and the power of possibility is a mind expanding, enthralling book with implications for living a mindful, happy life. The art of living mindfully the chronicle of higher. Superconsciousness caught up with langer at her harvard office. Mindful health and the transformative power of possibility unabridged counterclockwise. Langer, harvard professor of psychology, determines that the mindless following of routine and other automatic behaviors lead to much error, pain and a predetermined course of life. Ellen langer believes that in creative endeavors, and in life, were often better off not knowing the rules. Ellen langer eloquently describes how becoming more aware of our beliefs and expectations allows us to powerfully transform our lives for the better. Jan 01, 2009 ellen langer, yale phd, harvard professor of psychology, artist.
Before i clearly explain one, another comes to mind and seizes my attention, and it is not primarily our physical selves that limit us but rather our. With anecdotes and metaphors, langer explains how the mindlessas opposed to the mindfuldevelop mindsets of. Jul 12, 2011 jennifer aniston helps mindful health study go hollywood. Marie curies advice to journalists harvard psychologist ellen langer was on cbs this morning news explaining plans for a psychosocial intervention study with women with stage iv metastatic breast cancer.
Mindful health and the power of possibility ellen j. And she talked about the new movie, counterclockwise, that dreamworks is developing based on her life. Sep 07, 2018 based on ellen langers book counterclockwise. For more than 30 years, awardwinning social psychologist ellen langer has studied this. Among other honors, she is the recipient of a guggenheim fellowship and three distinguished scientist awards, the world congress award, the nyu alumni achievement award, and the staats award for unifying psychology, and has authored eleven books and over 200 research articles on. Bruce grierson on ellen langer, counterclockwise studies and the relationship between mind and body.
Jennifer aniston helps mindful health study go hollywood. Dr langer is the author of eleven books and over two hundred research articles. Ellen langer presents fascinating scientific data to support this view and argues convincingly that we should learn to take greater control of our health through the practice. The social psychologist ellen langer urges open minds about how far our. If we could turn back the clock psychologically, could we also turn it back physically. By jennifer ruark january 03, 2010 cambridge, mass. As harvard social psychologist ellen langer discovered in her now famous counterclockwise study, the key is the human mind. Aug 02, 2012 thinking counter clockwise to beat stress psychologist ellen langer has spent 30 years researching mindfulness, which she describes as the process of letting go of preconceived notions and. Ellen langer proposed a sociocognitive perspective, which conceives mindfulness as the process of drawing novel distinctions langer and moldoveanu 2000. In counterclockwise, ellen langer, a renowned social psychologist at harvard, suggests that our beliefs and expectations impact our physical health at least as much as diets and doctors do. Expectations and beliefs are the center piece of ellen langers counter clockwise.
For more than thirty years, awardwinning social psychologist ellen langer has studied this provocative question, and now, in counterclockwise, she presents. If you are a reporter, writer, or producer who wishes to schedule an interview, please use the contact form to send a request that includes. Thinking counter clockwise to beat stress psychologist ellen langer has spent 30 years researching mindfulness, which she describes as the process of letting go of preconceived notions and. An earlier book, uturn, asks the question what if you woke up one morning and realize you are living the wrong life. She is a fantastic storyteller, and counterclockwise is a fascinating story about the unexpected ways in which our minds and bodies are connected. In studies over four decades, harvard psychology professor ellen langer showed that mental attitude can reverse the effects of again and. Can your mental attitude reverse the effects of aging. In this audiobook, ellen langer uses her innovative theory of mindulness, introduced in her influential earlier book, to dramatically enhance the way we learn. Langer was the first woman to be tenured in psychology at harvard where she is still professor of psychology, and a member of the division on aging of the faculty of medicine. Ellen langer, yale phd, harvard professor of psychology, artist. Nov 03, 2006 counter clockwise starring jennifer aniston. Such a great interview with ellen langer on friday, october 15, 2010.
Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas. Author of mindfulness and one of the preeminent social theorists of our time. Media contacts are available to answer media inquiries about their research or other areas of expertise. In 1981, early in her career at harvard, ellen langer and her colleagues piled two groups of men in their seventies and eighties into vans, drove them two hours north to a sprawling old monastery in new hampshire, and dropped them off 22 years earlier, in 1959. Ellen langer on mindful learning and the power of possibility. Mindful learning takes place with an awareness of context and of the everchanging nature of information. The book chronicles numerous studies langer, her colleagues, and other researchers have done to show how we can change our physical health by changing our minds. In business, sports, laboratories, or at home, our learning is hobbled by certain antiquated. Harvard psychologist ellen langer, known for her work in the illusion of control, decisionmaking and aging theories, conducts a study in wh.
Ellen langer psychology professor mother of mindfulness. Mindfulnessthe unconventional research of psychologist ellen. She is also coeditor of higher stages of development and beliefs, attitudes and decision making. The art of noticing is the culmination of research on mindlessness and mindfulness conducted by dr.
Mindful health and the transformative power of possibility unabridged audiobook, by ellen j. For more than 30 years, awardwinning social psychologist ellen langer has studied this provocative question, and now has a conclusive answer. Ellen langer is one of the worlds leading research scientists, a professor of psychology at harvard, a painter, and a brilliant human being. Each of the oneliners in this book has been derived from this research and paired together with original artwork created over the past 17 years.
It is a book based on experiments with real people that draw meaningful conclusions. Take a brilliant, creative social scientist, without any respect for conventional wisdom and you get ellen langer. She argues that, as we grow older, our physical limitations are largely determined by the way we think about ourselves and what were capable of. Among other honors, langer is the recipient of a guggenheim fellowship and the apa award for distinguished contributions to psychology in. A film based on her book is currently being made, starring jennifer aniston. Ellen langer is an artist and harvard psychology professor who authored 11 books on the illusion of control, perceived control, successful aging and decisionmaking. Certainly he lacked the distance to challenge some of her outrageous claims. Counterclockwise adds convincing evidence to the rapidly growing bodies of research on the mindbody connection and the power of optimism. Mindful health and the power, this movie stars jennifer aniston as the protagonist ellen langer a harvard psychologist who found that reversal of aging process is possible both physically and psychologically and makes her patients believe that they can look younger. She is the author of eleven books and more than two hundred research articles written for general and academic readers on mindfulness for over 35 years. Her most influential work is counterclockwise, published in 2009, which answers the questions of aging from her. Psychologist ellen langers unconventional research.
1598 1280 72 309 1078 673 742 971 764 401 380 1018 495 492 1579 747 842 1370 803 632 1523 643 653 171 1293 325 803 392 589 444 1391 876 326 1099 1490