Hope is an interesting cognitive process with surprisingly little neuroscientific research behind it. One important question is whether hope and optimism are distinct cognitive constructs. There are some studies of dispositional optimism—generally defined as having a more positive outlook on future events.
Hope is similar, and can have both a secular or religious basis. Spirituality frequently engages the concept of hope and it might be interesting to determine which brain areas are involved in optimism and hope, and whether there is overlap with regard to supporting brain structures. A morpho-metric MRI study revealed a larger thalamus and para-hippocampus in those with higher scores of dispositional optimism—one of the many benefits of optimism.
Optimism and hope make life happier and meaningful.
Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier. -Anon
[This article has been written as a part of the series –“Ananta Daily“. To know more about Ananta, check this.] If you found this article interesting you may also like – Effects of Stress on Body and Coping with Stress
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