Reminders of death tend to inspire specific—and predictable—thoughts and feelings.
Previous research has shown that, when faced with our own mortality, most of us cling tight to the affiliations that give our lives meaning, such as religious faith and allegiance to our nation. These increased feelings of certitude and connectedness provide personal comfort, but they also can increase prejudice against outsiders (just ask an American Muslim).
n a startling new study, researchers report they have identified the specific part of the brain that at least partly controls this often-problematic unconscious mental response. What's more, their results suggest it can be modified—and by surprisingly simple means.
"The results provide the first evidence that group prejudice and religious belief are susceptible to targeted neuro-modulation," a research team led by University of California–Los Angeles anthropologist Colin Holbrook writes in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.
[For more of this story, written by Tom Jacobs, go to http://www.psmag.com/health-an...-a-pretty-good-thing]
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