One of the things I love about WordPress is the community. I have met some pretty awesome people here. People with compassion and empathy. People who support one another. People who understand the importance of connection and nurture those connections. These attributes are not only prosocial but have something in common. Oxytocin; a hypothalamic hormone stored in the posterior pituitary. It’s also a neurotransmitter.
Oxytocin can enhance health, well being, longevity, bond families, and ultimately unite humanity. When we don’t encourage the release of this hormone-neurotransmitter, we become dysfunctional. Not only on an individual basis but also within families, within communities, within nations and the world. It’s so simple, yet we make it complicated. We’ve also devalued care-giving, and have paid the price.
I’m not a religious person, nor do I subscribe to any religious belief system. However, in my opinion, Jesus, Buddha, and other teachers like them, were conveying a message that encourages the release of oxytocin, and curtails an overproduction of another hormone-neurotransmitter, dopamine. Dopamine is necessary for survival, and motivates us, but too much can make us self-centered, domineering, greedy, self-indulgent and less empathic.
It can also become addictive — alcohol, nicotine, drugs, gambling, sex, and food addictions are all addictions to dopamine. Ever heard of the saying “The devil made me do it?” The ‘devil’ is symbolic for dopamine. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (I Peter 5:8)
Oxytocin evokes feelings of contentment, calmness, trust and security while reducing anxiety and decreasing fear. Animal studies show oxytocin inhibits the development of tolerance to various addictive drugs, (opiates, cocaine, alcohol, etc.) and reduces withdrawal symptoms. In other studies, empathy increased in healthy men after intranasal oxytocin was administered.
Oxytocin is the bonding hormone. It’s the cuddle hormone. It’s the love hormone. It curtails depression. It enhances the immune system. When we encourage behavior that releases oxytocin, it not only benefits others, it benefits ourselves. It’s a win, win. I produced this simple 5 minute video, today, to further elaborate. Thanks for reading and for watching. ♥
Image (chemical structure of oxytocin) from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oxytocin_color.svg
Very good material. Excited about your blog and will follow regularly.
Thanks Lew. =)
Fascinating. I write a blog that is in large part devoted to the idea of interconnectedness. I’m also a science geek so I love the intersection of science and spirituality. In addition to caring for others, do you know of any other activities/behaviors that promote oxytocin production?
Are there any other ways of increasing oxytocin? Yes – reading your uplifting blog.
Here are 10 other ways to release oxytocin, backed by science. The WordPress community is also representative of #10. http://www.prevention.com/health/sex-relationships/easy-ways-increase-oxytocin-levels
Here’s a quote from Psychology Today: “… 98% of the hundreds of people I have tested release oxytocin properly when they are trusted. The human oxytocin system motivates a desire to interact with others, and those whose brains release a spike of oxytocin reciprocate the trust they have been shown.” http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-moral-molecule/200811/the-oxytocin-cure
Brainwave entrainment is another method that encourages the release of oxytocin; using alpha frequencies for longer than 20 minutes.
Thanks for your reply, the like and for the follow.
Love your Missionary Statement.
*now following*
Thank you! I’m so humbled to think my blog might help release oxytocin in others! I can’t wait to check out the other links. You’ve got great information on your site. sidenote: my actual career is as a clinic-based speech-langauge pathologist. I love my TBI clients!!
What a small world. I am a worldwide advocate for TBI awareness. Some of the information posted here may not seem so uplifting but they serve a higher purpose. I have faith in the innate goodness of people wholly connected to their own humanity. It is my hope that in the near future, societies will move away from being fear-based, to being trust-based. That will come about when we change some of the disadvantageous cultural practices that created fear-based societies.
Robert M. Sapolsky, professor of neurology and neurological sciences at Stanford University, said in his article “Peace Among Primates” that humans may be hardwired to get edgy around the Other, but our views on who falls into that category are decidedly malleable.
I read your Personal Note. Very moving. I’m sorry for your losses, but rejoice that they propelled you further toward advocacy. As for our hardwiring (from an evolutionary perspective) I like to think of us as being naturally much more like our Bonobo brothers than the chimps. Peace, cooperation, and sex!
But sociocultural constructs teach us that we are otherwise.
S Wave, my apologies for the delay in response. Thank you for your kind words. Speaking of primates, when you can find the time, I highly recommend reading “Peace Among Primates”, with emphasis on the Forrest Troop baboons.
After the aggressive, war mongering, resource hoarding baboons died after eating tainted meat, the Forrest troop society changed dramatically. The non-aggressive, prosocial baboons that survived transform their society into a baboon utopia, and has remained that way some 20+ years later. It’s under the subtitle “Left behind”.
http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/peace_among_primates
I’ve heard of that! Looking forward to checking out the book. Thanks!
I nominated you for the Liebster Award!
My newest post explains: http://littleblogoflettinggo.com/2013/04/09/liebster-award/
Carrie, I am honored. I further elaborated in your post. Thank you.
*smiles*