“The ENS utilizes many neurotransmitters also found within the central nervous system, including dopamine and serotonin,” she says. “In fact, more than three quarters of human serotonin levels are found within the gut. The chemical shifts that take place during various emotional states happen not only within the brain but also within the digestive tract. The second brain is linked to depression as it involves the absorption of vital nutrients necessary for balanced chemistry. When we are not balanced, we tend to grow sedentary, and this in turn leads to further malabsorption.”
Changing Your View Of The World
It’s hardly surprising, but your bad mood can change the way you view the world around you. “The biochemical imbalance of neurotransmitters in our brains causes negative moods and [is] labeled as nonconstructive because when we’re in a bad mood, we are unable to correctly process information,” says Dr. Cammi Balleck, author of “Happy, the New Sexy”: “When in a bad mood, we focus only on the sender of the message and not the message itself, while people in positive moods will pay more attention to both the sender and the context of the message.”
In fact, a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience showed that being in a bad mood could give a person actual “tunnel vision”— by narrowing one’s field of vision. However, if a person is in a good mood, they see a wider view of their surroundings.
But that’s not all. As it turns out, not only can a bad mood ruin your social relationships (perhaps you shouldn’t have snapped at that co-worker?), but it can also skew your sense of morality. Consider the moral dilemma posed by scientists for years: You’re standing on a footbridge over some trolley tracks and see an out-of-control trolley barreling down on five people standing on the track who haven’t yet seen it coming. Next to you is a fairly large man. As the trolley hurtles toward the five people, you realize that the only way to save the five people below is to push the man next to you off the bridge and into the path of the trolley.
So, What Would You Do? Push? Or Not Push?
Turns out that the way you answer that questions also depends on your mood. According to a study published in the journal Cognition, a group of German researchers found that participants in a controlled experiment responded to the question in agreement no matter how it was asked. When they were asked if it was OK to push the man, they said “yes.” And when they were asked if it was better to not push, they also said “yes” — basically, they were being agreeable.
Those in a negative mood, however, responded no to all questions. The researchers concluded that moods could be influencing the thought process itself by biasing how we view our choices, resulting in different patterns of moral thinking. And if you’re in a bad mood, you’re also going to pass it on because, as it happens, moods are contagious.
It’s Not You; It’s Your Brain
Don’t feel too guilty just yet! Scientists say that while part of your bad mood is your fault, if you’re constantly grumpy, it’s your brain that’s to blame. Dr. David Zald, a psychologist at Vanderbilt University, led a study that scanned the brains of healthy people. It showed that those who reported having been in a bad mood recently had increased activity in a region of the brain called the ventromedial prefrontal cortex.
“Such a connection does make sense because animal studies show that this region of the brain controls heart rate, breathing, stomach-acidity levels, sweating, and similar autonomous functions that have a close connection to mood,” he told the BBC.
But here’s why your grumpy mood can be a good thing: According to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, people who are in a bad mood tend to have better memories and are more accurate in their judgment, precisely because they develop that tunnel vision we talked about earlier. If you’re in a bad mood, you’re more likely to be grumpy and more prone to arguments and, as a result, less gullible. This means you’re also less likely to make decisions based on preconceived notions or stereotypes.
“I strongly believe we need moods to allow us to come closer to [our emotional] center and recognize the place where we feel most comfortable,” says Biasizzo. “Moods can actually be terrific learning tools as long as we learn to create healthy patterns that serve us for long-term health rather than create mental health.”
This article was first published in the print edition of Brain World Magazine.
More From Brain World
- Balance Your Energy … And Your Brain
- For Healthier Minds: An Interview with Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein
- It Takes Guts: An Interview with Dr. Michael D. Gershon
- Know Your Brain: The Neocortex — The Light Upstairs
- The Spotless Mind: The Possibilities of Memory-Erasing
- Why “Let’s Do Lunch” (For Real) is a Good Idea for Your Brain
