Have you given those Facebook prediction images a whirl? They may be REAL.
We've all seen friends sharing Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter images promising to unlock our most hidden secrets and realities, though most of us have chalked them up to gimmicks at best. It turns out they may actually hold some predictive and future-altering powers after all, because the mind is a wonderful, if not complex, thing (and if you get a kick out of this, you should check out this quiz on which side of your brain controls the way you think and process information).
Take a look at this viral Facebook image. Which three words jump out almost immediately for you?
Image via Bryce Gruber on Facebook
"At first glance, this may seem like merely a fun gimmick," shares Dr. Patrick Porter, a neuroscience expert and the creator of BrainTap. "However, if we look deeper, we see there is plenty of power behind these positive words. When a person uses words such as self care, health, wisdom, etc., neurohormonal responses are triggered in the body, along with a cascade of positive brain chemicals. These types of words can hold hidden meanings, therefore binding people through their values. Certainly this can also relate to their current mindset and outlook on life."
Just seeing and acknowledging these positive-outlook words can give way to an almost unstoppable cascade of positive events, he says. "Our minds work like folders on our desktops, constantly organizing and storing information. Certain words that trigger emotions and connections would be organized like a higher-level folder. Once we dig deeper, these positive words, like those we see in the viral social media image, begin to branch out into behaviors or groups with which we associate."
Porter says the brain then goes to work rapidly reorganizing to accommodate these new, positive-outlook words and images to benefit the viewer. "It's crucial to note that meanings can vary person to person, depending on the context and background. What one positive affirmation word means to one person could be totally different to another, but words like these are called normalizations."
Image via Facebook
Normalization is the idea that previously unusual, foreign, or even disbelieved concepts become readily accepted and normal to the mind, and the power of normalizing a positive outlook is infinite. In fact, one Stanford study found that a positive outlook literally makes your brain work better.
"We think the relationship between positive attitude and math achievement is mutual, bi-directional," said Lang Chen, the study's lead author, who focused on the connection between a positive outlook and academic achievement. "It's like bootstrapping: A good attitude opens the door to high achievement, which means you then have a better attitude, getting you into a good circle of learning. Attitude is really important. Based on our data, the unique contribution of a positive attitude to math achievement is as large as the contribution from IQ."
That means all those Facebook image affirmations triggering desktop-folder-reorganizing brain changes can pave the way to enhanced life performance, and that's truly exciting. The benefits don't stop at the mind though, because Johns Hopkins Medicine found the power of positive thought stretches to physical health, too.
Johns Hopkins expert Lisa R. Yanek, M.P.H., and her colleagues found that people with a family history of heart disease who also had a positive outlook were a full one-third less likely to have a heart attack or other cardiovascular event within five to 25 years than those with a more negative outlook. The finding even rang true for people with the most risk factors for coronary artery disease, and out of the general population, positive-minded people were 13 percent less likely to run into heart attack issues or other coronary events.
Photo by Hush Naidoo on Unsplash
"If one intentionally selects words, like those in a viral social media image like this one, that person would then hold tremendous power over them," explains Porter, who believes these trivial-seeming graphics are actually important additions to the happiness puzzle in the age of social media and COVID-19. "This power can be used in a positive way to uplift and benefit others as well."
He cautions that these images should be taken with a mild grain of salt, though they definitely hold significant and real value for onlookers, if not advertisers with genius minds. "Though image tests can surely serve as entertainment, real science exists and supports this in the field of neuro-linguistic programming. It is more than mere entertainment, also due to the fact it simply would not surprise me if those behind the game aren’t selling the discovered data to advertisers. This would give advertisers an unfair advantage to manipulate the end user to believe or buy a product. Even further, someone who holds this power to use science to affect the way the mind interprets such images, one could even shift a person’s political or social beliefs with this powerful technique, masking itself as a game."
Overall though, Dr. Porter sees more value in these quick-and-easy Facebook images than anything else. "There can definitely be value during these challenging times. If those playing the games remember these words, they can trigger good hormones throughout their body. This is very positive and can ultimately help people remain focused on a task. Additionally, they can motivate people to work toward their goals or affirmations for personal success."
Happiness hormones are more important than you might think, too. Dopamine, the 'feel-good' hormone and neurotransmitter is your brain's reward system, while serotonin helps regulate your mood and sleep. Other key hormones that endorphins can be triggered by a positive outlook, offering a degree of physical pain relief and stress maintenance.
So, which words did you see in the image? Some of the most commonly commented included self care, health, connection, gratitude, purpose, family, connections, and lessons -- but many more exist, and everyone seems to come up with a different combination of answers.
Leave your answers in the comments, and feel free to share this post with friends and relatives to fully test how well it works and see their reactions.