Those who have written their thoughts, feelings, and emotions into poetry, aphorisms, or other literary methods know of the powerful healing properties this has on one’s being. They know of the benefits that arise from transmitting thoughts into words. Although it is true that thoughts would never truly be exactly replicated into words, they can come pretty close. Thanks to new scientific research, this experiential knowledge about the powerful nature of expressing ourselves in writing is now confirmed as being a factual reality.
A recent article noted that brain scientists are starting to understand something poets, songwriters and diarists have long known, which is that putting feelings into words helps ease the mind. Although it is a well-established fact, they are at a loss for explaining why this is so. However, they do observe that “when you put feelings into words, you are turning on the same regions in the brain that are involved in emotional self-control. It regulates distress.” The findings are based on studies in which healthy subjects lie in an MRI machine and view emotionally evocative pictures, such as scared or angry faces. Study participants touch a button corresponding to a word that expresses that emotion.
When study subjects put feelings into words in this way, the researchers noted increased brain activity in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, a brain region known for dampening negative emotions. At the same time, they saw decreases in activity in the amygdala, the brain machinery responsible for processing feelings about relationships and emotions like fear, rage and aggression. The scientists believe that this may explain why many teenagers and others take up pen and paper when they are filled with angst. Thanks to this newly discovered information, the scientists are now doing studies to see how putting words into feelings might help people who fear spiders or have anxiety disorders.
I would suggest a possible reason as to why transferring our thoughts, feelings, and emotions into written form eases the mind and brings about a greater sense of peace and well-being. It may be that expressing such intimate matters in a diary, which is assumed nobody but that individual will ever read it, allows for a fear-less state of mind to manifest and a way in which one can reflect on their true self. It may be a way to dig into the core of one’s being, bypassing the distractions and facades of the ego, to discover and connect with the essence of one’s self. Expression of that which is felt through sensations, be they physical or mental, is truly a healing and transformative tool that can be used for the personal growth of one’s self. So go on, start a diary; create a poem; write a musing. Express the feelings you feel deep within. You may be surprised at the results.
