0:00:07 > 0:00:09I'm Michael Mosley.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12As you can see, I was a blissfully happy child
0:00:12 > 0:00:16but, although I still try to be cheerful,
0:00:16 > 0:00:19this is now something of a mask.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23I have a tendency to be a catastrophic thinker
0:00:23 > 0:00:25and I think, "Oh, it's going to be terrible or I'm going to retire
0:00:25 > 0:00:29"and I'm going to get some horrible disease or not have any money." Did that ever worry you?
0:00:29 > 0:00:31No.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35The truth is I'm now a bit of a pessimist.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41I get stressed and I constantly fret about the future.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48So, a couple of months ago, I set out to explore
0:00:48 > 0:00:52the latest science of personality,
0:00:52 > 0:00:55to see if it is possible to change.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Now, in many ways, I suspect this is going to be the hardest thing
0:00:58 > 0:01:01I've ever attempted, but the rewards are also great.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05I want to become a warmer, more open person.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08I want to be happier and, from a purely selfish point of view,
0:01:08 > 0:01:11I also want to be able to sleep better because I'm something
0:01:11 > 0:01:14of a chronic insomniac and when I get stressed,
0:01:14 > 0:01:17like I am frankly at the moment, I stop sleeping.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Is that too much to ask?
0:01:20 > 0:01:25I've set myself a very ambitious task... To change my mind.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32What I've been trying is something that requires no drugs,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35no expensive therapy.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39Instead, it involves a couple of unusual techniques
0:01:39 > 0:01:42and, after seven weeks, I'm genuinely surprised
0:01:42 > 0:01:44by what's happened.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47That absolutely made my day, thank you. Brilliant!
0:01:47 > 0:01:51Give it up for Michael, everyone!
0:01:51 > 0:01:55So, can you really change key aspects of your personality?
0:01:55 > 0:01:58And why might we want to?
0:02:16 > 0:02:22This is Oxford, Ohio, a town in the American Mid-West.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25It's not a particularly fun-looking town
0:02:25 > 0:02:27but first impressions can be deceptive.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34I'm starting here because the people in this place have revealed
0:02:34 > 0:02:38the extent to which the mind can affect the body.
0:02:38 > 0:02:44They've shown that what you think and how you think really matters.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52It's a quiet - really quite unremarkable - little town,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55and yet, back in 1975, it was the subject
0:02:55 > 0:02:58of a really fascinating social experiment,
0:02:58 > 0:03:02one which has been going on now for almost 40 years.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19It started when a scientist from the local university
0:03:19 > 0:03:21came up with an ambitious plan -
0:03:21 > 0:03:26to recruit all the over 50s in the town for a study into ageing.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36More than 1,000 of the locals duly signed up.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43I've come to meet some of the members of that original group,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46and they are a lively lot.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49So, you guys kind of gather every morning or...?
0:03:49 > 0:03:52You sound as though you're having a gas, I have to say.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56- Every morning except Sunday. - Who's the oldest person here?
0:03:56 > 0:04:00- He's second, I'm 90. - You're 90?- He's 88.
0:04:00 > 0:04:0288. You going to try and make 100?
0:04:02 > 0:04:05I don't know. I tell you, when you get to be 90,
0:04:05 > 0:04:07actually, you know, you live from day to day.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Ken, you took part in the original study which began in '75.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12Do you remember taking part in it?
0:04:12 > 0:04:15I vaguely remember taking part in it.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17I mean, did you know how extraordinary it was
0:04:17 > 0:04:20that they tried to recruit pretty well everybody in this town
0:04:20 > 0:04:22at the time, and then they followed them
0:04:22 > 0:04:24for whatever it is, 35 years now?
0:04:24 > 0:04:27I don't think they've been following me though, have they?
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Secretly!
0:04:32 > 0:04:35In 1975, volunteers filled in questionnaires,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38looking at things like health, jobs, family
0:04:38 > 0:04:41and attitudes towards growing older.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Do you worry about the future?
0:04:45 > 0:04:48No, no, I don't worry about the future.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51I... What will come will come, and when it comes, it comes.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54But, no, no. I don't worry about it.
0:04:54 > 0:04:59If you just keep cyclically thinking bad thoughts, not good.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02What do you see in people who are negative?
0:05:02 > 0:05:07What do I see in them? I see an unhappy person.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10I see a person who's more highly stressed than others.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13To be stressed all your life, it would be...
0:05:13 > 0:05:15wouldn't be a pleasant life.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Decades after the original questionnaires were filled in,
0:05:22 > 0:05:27data from the Ohio study ended up at Yale University,
0:05:27 > 0:05:32on the desk of Associate Professor Becca Levy.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35So, what sort of questions did they ask?
0:05:35 > 0:05:38One of the questions was, "How much do you agree or disagree
0:05:38 > 0:05:42with the item "as you get older, you are less useful?""
0:05:42 > 0:05:44OK, I would say that I disagree with it
0:05:44 > 0:05:47because I'm sure that, as I'm getting older, I'm getting more useful.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Oh, good, very good.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Another question that was asked was, "As you get older,
0:05:52 > 0:05:57"are things better, the same or worse than you thought they would be?"
0:05:57 > 0:06:01- LAUGHS - OK, I think I have no particular reason
0:06:01 > 0:06:06for feeling negative about the future and yet I do.
0:06:06 > 0:06:07What are you fearful of?
0:06:07 > 0:06:11I don't know, just generally more anxious about stuff
0:06:11 > 0:06:13but I don't know whether I'm just becoming more realistic
0:06:13 > 0:06:19or whether the world really is a more frightening place
0:06:19 > 0:06:21- than it once was.- Yes.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29It turned out that how you answered these particular questions
0:06:29 > 0:06:34was a strong predictor of how long you were likely to live.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39Mental attitude was far more important than anyone had imagined.
0:06:40 > 0:06:45What we did is we tried to find the survival patterns of everybody
0:06:45 > 0:06:47who was in the original study, so there's something called
0:06:47 > 0:06:50the National Death Index in the United States,
0:06:50 > 0:06:54and we found mortality information about all the original participants.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59And when Becca went through the death records,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02she found the same thing over and over again.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06It was actually a survival advantage
0:07:06 > 0:07:09on average of about seven and a half years
0:07:09 > 0:07:11for those who had more positive beliefs about ageing.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14So, something which actually increases life expectancy
0:07:14 > 0:07:17by seven and a half years is quite a big deal, I think.
0:07:17 > 0:07:18Were you excited when you discovered it?
0:07:18 > 0:07:21Yes, so it was a bigger advantage than we had predicted
0:07:21 > 0:07:23so that was really exciting to look at.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Ready?
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Get happy!
0:07:31 > 0:07:34One, two, three. Fine, right?
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Becca's research has been backed by other work
0:07:38 > 0:07:41looking into the power of optimism.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47To put her results into context, if we could cure cancer tomorrow,
0:07:47 > 0:07:53it would half as much, three to four years to life expectancy.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58But what can you do if you're not naturally a positive, happy soul?
0:08:01 > 0:08:04I keep on thinking that the worst is going to happen.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06It doesn't happen but, in the meanwhile,
0:08:06 > 0:08:09rather than engaging in the present and sort of being there,
0:08:09 > 0:08:11chatting with my family, I'm sometimes staring off
0:08:11 > 0:08:13into outer space, thinking about things
0:08:13 > 0:08:15which will probably never occur.
0:08:15 > 0:08:20I'm also still sleeping terribly and, so, if I could do something
0:08:20 > 0:08:26that would make that different, then I would really love to do it.
0:08:34 > 0:08:35Over the last few years,
0:08:35 > 0:08:39I've looked at the evidence behind the science of how our bodies work.
0:08:42 > 0:08:47I've tried a lot of different tests and procedures on myself.
0:08:49 > 0:08:54Breathe in! Now I want to move on from the body to the mind,
0:08:54 > 0:08:59to examine the science behind positive psychology.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04And the first step is to find objective ways
0:09:04 > 0:09:06to measure personality.
0:09:09 > 0:09:14Our personalities are a complex interaction of character traits
0:09:14 > 0:09:19that affect behaviour, emotions and ultimately the lives we lead.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23And one of THE fundamental drivers is how optimistic
0:09:23 > 0:09:25or pessimistic we are.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29This is also one of the hottest new areas of scientific research.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35But how on earth do you objectively measure it?
0:09:35 > 0:09:38I am 5 ft 11, I'm 168 lbs
0:09:38 > 0:09:41and my chest size is 42 inches.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Now these things are easy to measure
0:09:44 > 0:09:46but what about aspects of personality?
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Well, I've come here to Essex University,
0:09:49 > 0:09:52where they're going to probe my brain
0:09:52 > 0:09:54and apparently they can tell me
0:09:54 > 0:09:58whether I am fundamentally optimistic or pessimistic.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13Professor Elaine Fox is a neuroscientist
0:10:13 > 0:10:18and one of the leading researchers in the science of optimism.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Now, ready? All I do is put in a small amount of gel
0:10:21 > 0:10:23and then you'll feel it cold.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25We know that some people's brains tune in very much
0:10:25 > 0:10:27to negative information and others tune in
0:10:27 > 0:10:30to positive information, and what we're hoping to do,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33we're measuring the electrical activity in your brain
0:10:33 > 0:10:35and we're really just going to try and probe
0:10:35 > 0:10:38and see whether your brain naturally tunes in
0:10:38 > 0:10:40to either positive stuff or negative stuff.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42I am, I must admit, phenomenally interested
0:10:42 > 0:10:45- to see what you discover because... - Yes, it'll be interesting, yeah.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49I would suspect that I have a bias towards the negative.
0:10:49 > 0:10:50Do you think so? Yes.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52It may turn out that I'm a rip-roaring optimist.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Well, it absolutely might, yes, exactly.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57It's funny because I have these conversations with my wife
0:10:57 > 0:11:02quite frequently because she has a... I think, a kind of naturally
0:11:02 > 0:11:04sunny disposition, and she finds it quite frustrating.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07You know, she keeps on saying, "These things won't happen."
0:11:07 > 0:11:09- No, exactly.- "Why do you keep thinking about them?
0:11:09 > 0:11:12"Why do you keep on talking and planning about things,
0:11:12 > 0:11:14"which the odds on them ever, ever happening
0:11:14 > 0:11:15"are just fantastically low?
0:11:15 > 0:11:19"Why don't you just wait and see what happens?"
0:11:19 > 0:11:22It's a disaster, the kids will all end up in jail.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Embarrassingly, I can't even stop worrying
0:11:28 > 0:11:29while they're setting this up.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Oh dear, there's a flashing light there. It's not good.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37It's not my bloody job, I know that.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39My eye keeps on being drawn to it and I keep on going,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41"Is that important?"
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Don't worry about the flashing light.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46I know, it's nothing to do with me but I can't quite stop myself.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52The first part of the test involves measuring levels
0:11:52 > 0:11:57of electrical activity on the two sides of my brain while I'm resting.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Surprisingly enough, studies have shown
0:12:01 > 0:12:05that people who are prone to high levels of pessimism,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08neuroticism and anxiety tend to have greater activity
0:12:08 > 0:12:12on the right side of their frontal cortex than the left.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15This is known as cerebral asymmetry.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18We know it happens, we don't know why.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Now for something more active.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Elaine's asked me to press a button
0:12:32 > 0:12:36when I see dots flashing up behind faces on the screen.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39At the moment, I'm just in a kind of a completely zoned-out territory.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42I have no idea.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45That was a cock-up, yeah.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49I didn't realise while I was doing it
0:12:49 > 0:12:53that the whole point is to test unconscious biases.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57They wanted to see if my response time was influenced
0:12:57 > 0:13:03by whether the dots appeared behind angry or behind happy faces.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Did that kind of go as you'd planned?
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Yes, it did. There's the data.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17Ay-ay-ay!
0:13:18 > 0:13:22God, this is not a good look, is it?
0:13:22 > 0:13:24- KNOCKS - Hello, there!- Hi, Michael.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27A couple of hours later, and my results are ready.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30The computer measured the speed that you pressed the button
0:13:30 > 0:13:33and sometimes there was an angry face on the left hand side,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36say, sometimes a happy face on the right hand side,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39so you can see that's how quickly you responded
0:13:39 > 0:13:41when the target appeared near the angry faces.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44It's extraordinary. My reaction times are much faster...
0:13:44 > 0:13:46- Much faster, as you see. - ..with the angry faces.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Exactly, so when the little probes appeared where the angry faces were,
0:13:49 > 0:13:51you were actually much, much faster, so...
0:13:51 > 0:13:52That is, OK, that is extraordinary.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55I had absolutely no idea that was going on at all.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Exactly, it's a little probe into your mind showing us
0:13:58 > 0:14:01your brain is just slightly faster because you were already there.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Your attention has gone to the angry face immediately,
0:14:03 > 0:14:05so when you react, because you're already there,
0:14:05 > 0:14:07you're a little bit faster.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13But Elaine has found something else which is a bit more unsettling.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17The first part of the test, where they measured my brain activity
0:14:17 > 0:14:22at rest, revealed I have nearly three times more activity
0:14:22 > 0:14:26in the right frontal areas than the left.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30This suggests a brain that is even more tuned to the dark side
0:14:30 > 0:14:31than I thought.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35I would have been surprised if your machine had decided
0:14:35 > 0:14:39that I was a raging optimist, because that isn't true.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41But I'm also not clinically depressed either.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43That's what it shows.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46I incurred a bit on the negative side, but not extraordinarily.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50I think that's exactly... It's on the negative side of the spectrum.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55I'm now wondering if Elaine is simply being diplomatic,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58and if my results are rather worse than she's suggesting,
0:14:58 > 0:15:02or is that just paranoia?
0:15:02 > 0:15:06So, that test has shown what I guess I've always believed,
0:15:06 > 0:15:11that I have a fundamentally negative filter and that makes me
0:15:11 > 0:15:17prone to pessimism, anxiety and also sometimes neuroticism.
0:15:17 > 0:15:23It colours my relationships and also affects how I react to the world.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32# Sometimes I go out by myself... #
0:15:32 > 0:15:37A brain that is hyper-aware of things that can go wrong leads
0:15:37 > 0:15:41to increased stress and anxiety, and it's more than just a state of mind.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47It's powerfully connected to how your body responds.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53I've come to this karaoke bar to sing - badly -
0:15:53 > 0:15:56in front of 100 strangers.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59I'm here to demonstrate what happens to your body
0:15:59 > 0:16:03when you allow negative thoughts to dominate your mind.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07# ... over, Valerie. #
0:16:09 > 0:16:12# So now you're back from Outer Space
0:16:12 > 0:16:14# I just walked in here to find you here
0:16:14 > 0:16:17# With that sad look upon your face... #
0:16:17 > 0:16:18My body is really screaming at me,
0:16:18 > 0:16:22this is a really, really bad idea because my pulse is running
0:16:22 > 0:16:26at around 120, my mouth is dry and I've got a faint tremor.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32Areas of my brain that deal with fear and threat have kicked in.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35These evolved to ensure survival
0:16:35 > 0:16:39but today it's not a sabre-toothed tiger that's terrifying me,
0:16:39 > 0:16:42it's just a little sing-along.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44I mean, it's sort of odd
0:16:44 > 0:16:47because you'd imagine somebody who makes a living out of
0:16:47 > 0:16:51appearing in front of a camera would feel quite comfortable, but I don't,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54I don't feel remotely comfortable about doing anything like this
0:16:54 > 0:16:57and I can see the whites of everyone's eyes
0:16:57 > 0:17:00and that fills me with horror.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Will you please welcome the next singer?
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Mr Michael Mosley!
0:17:11 > 0:17:15# First I was afraid, I was petrified
0:17:15 > 0:17:20# Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side... #
0:17:20 > 0:17:25The first bit of the song is OK because I just have to shout
0:17:25 > 0:17:28but when the music kicks in, I'm stuffed.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35Before I came on, I was thinking, what happens if I freeze?
0:17:35 > 0:17:39And that thought became self-fulfilling.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41I've totally shut down.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Now this is obviously a highly unusual situation
0:17:46 > 0:17:50but it certainly demonstrates the power of negative thoughts
0:17:50 > 0:17:52to influence human physiology.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10After the pleasures of karaoke,
0:18:10 > 0:18:14I'm in Boston, Massachusetts, where engineers have invented
0:18:14 > 0:18:18a discreet way of measuring that most elusive of things -
0:18:18 > 0:18:21our emotions.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24It's a device created by Professor Ros Picard,
0:18:24 > 0:18:26who runs the media lab here,
0:18:26 > 0:18:30and it's something you can wear day and night.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32So, Ros, I've got these wrist bands.
0:18:32 > 0:18:33What exactly are they doing?
0:18:33 > 0:18:36You need to think about this sort of, as like a new kind of
0:18:36 > 0:18:39wearable microscope that lets you look inside your body
0:18:39 > 0:18:42and see some things that previously you couldn't, couldn't see.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46How interesting! So, essentially, you're using these
0:18:46 > 0:18:48to read emotions that people
0:18:48 > 0:18:51cannot necessarily express or don't even know they're experiencing?
0:18:51 > 0:18:54That's right, and sometimes they're full of surprises.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Oh, you're tantalising me. You're doing very well.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00OK, are you wearing a pair or is that just a big, snazzy watch?
0:19:00 > 0:19:03Yeah, this is just a prototype of a future version that's coming out.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06OK, great.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09The wrist bands can monitor someone's emotional state
0:19:09 > 0:19:14by detecting minute changes in the electrical conductivity
0:19:14 > 0:19:16and temperature of the skin.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20These are driven by the so-called autonomic nervous system.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24And I'm being monitored even while we talk.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29Why not just rely on people filling in questionnaires?
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Why do you need technology?
0:19:31 > 0:19:34Oh, goodness! People just will say the darndest things
0:19:34 > 0:19:36on questionnaires, right?
0:19:36 > 0:19:38They'll think that they're happy, "Of course I'm happy," you know,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41and, finally, you know, 20 samples later,
0:19:41 > 0:19:43they realise they're miserable, all right?
0:19:47 > 0:19:50We find that the body often tells you
0:19:50 > 0:19:53there's a change in your state well before your mind recognises
0:19:53 > 0:19:56that change, so even if you're trying really hard to be truthful
0:19:56 > 0:19:59on a questionnaire, usually your awareness of what's going on
0:19:59 > 0:20:01lags quite a bit behind.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04OK, you've been wearing these wrist bands the whole time
0:20:04 > 0:20:06we've been interacting, and now I'll take them off
0:20:06 > 0:20:08and we're going to take a look at your data.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10OK, and you can do it that fast?
0:20:10 > 0:20:12Oh, yes, it's very quick.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19It's not often you get to see a chat going on
0:20:19 > 0:20:23and also see at the same time what's going on inside you.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26The readings are higher when I'm excited or anxious,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29and lower when I'm calm.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32It's what Ros calls my arousal level.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35All right, what we have here is four signals.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39The red is your right side, the blue is your left side.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42This is my left side and my right side.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45So, first of all, we're seeing that your baseline arousal
0:20:45 > 0:20:50is higher than mine during this social interaction.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53So, the wrist bands show I'm more aroused than Ros
0:20:53 > 0:20:56but am I stressed or just excited?
0:20:58 > 0:21:00As with the brain test I did earlier,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03the thing Ros is interested in is, which side of my body
0:21:03 > 0:21:06is showing more activity?
0:21:06 > 0:21:10There's clearly higher response on my right wrist than my left,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13and research suggests this can be linked to my amygdala,
0:21:13 > 0:21:18a part of the brain which evolved to deal with fear and threat.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Now, most arousing experiences activate both of them
0:21:21 > 0:21:25but certain kinds of experiences, like social phobia,
0:21:25 > 0:21:29or threat-type situations, we would expect for a right handed person,
0:21:29 > 0:21:31the right one to be activated more.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34How interesting! So, that is absolutely compatible with somebody
0:21:34 > 0:21:39who feels mildly socially phobic and is an uncomfortable situation?
0:21:39 > 0:21:40That is what we would expect.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Wow! And that is quite tiring,
0:21:43 > 0:21:47I imagine, looking at that to sustain that sort of level of peak?
0:21:47 > 0:21:51It's work. Being around people can be hard work.
0:21:52 > 0:21:57Thank you, it's been absolutely... It has been genuinely fascinating. Thank you.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01# I'd rather go on the road
0:22:01 > 0:22:04# Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah
0:22:04 > 0:22:08# I'd rather go on the road
0:22:08 > 0:22:09# Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah
0:22:09 > 0:22:11# I'd rather go on the road
0:22:11 > 0:22:13# Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah... #
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Ros's emotional microscope has certainly exposed
0:22:16 > 0:22:19the sort of feelings that most of us try to hide.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26And I was really surprised because I thought I would be the cool one
0:22:26 > 0:22:28and she would be the nervous one,
0:22:28 > 0:22:32but actually it turned out to be the absolute other way round.
0:22:32 > 0:22:33I didn't actually feel nervous
0:22:33 > 0:22:37but clearly my system was firing on all cylinders.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44And these levels of heightened anxious arousal are something
0:22:44 > 0:22:48I want to change, not least because it has probably contributed
0:22:48 > 0:22:52to making me a chronic insomniac for the past 20 years.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00OK, oh, dear.
0:23:01 > 0:23:06I've had a spectacularly bad run of nights recently.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10Up at about sort of 4 o'clock last night.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12You can probably see the bags under the eyes.
0:23:12 > 0:23:17And, um, let's see how tonight goes.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20I hope it's better than last night.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22Good night!
0:23:24 > 0:23:28Yeah, it's 4:30am and I'm wide awake.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Lots of thoughts racing through my head
0:23:31 > 0:23:35and so I thought I'd get up and sit around a bit.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45I'm going to try two different techniques, which have been shown
0:23:45 > 0:23:48to reduce negativity and stress.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51To learn more about the first technique,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54I've come back to Essex University.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58Professor Fox's brain test measured my levels of pessimism
0:23:58 > 0:24:02but being a very positive person herself, she's convinced that
0:24:02 > 0:24:07not only can she help me, but we'll see changes in my brain.
0:24:07 > 0:24:12She introduces me to cognitive bias modification - CBM.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14Basically, it's very simple.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17If you just press 'start' there, you'll see an array of faces.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Now, your task is simply to click on the happy face.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22- OK, OK, happy.- Yeah, and then just keep going, basically.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Blimey, it's quite difficult to find them, isn't it?
0:24:25 > 0:24:27Yeah, so just find a happy face.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35There have been many studies of CBM involving several thousand people.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41The idea is you reduce your unconscious negative bias
0:24:41 > 0:24:44by training yourself to seek out the positive.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47OK, whoo!
0:24:47 > 0:24:49No, he's not down there.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Let's go across down there.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56I simply have to spot the smiley faces.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58How hard can that be?
0:24:58 > 0:25:01You think when you look at it, it's going to be dead easy but...
0:25:01 > 0:25:03That's right, it's more difficult than you imagine
0:25:03 > 0:25:06and it shows us how distracting the negative faces can be.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08I do actually like the smiley faces, you know,
0:25:08 > 0:25:10and yet I'm obviously drawn to the dark side.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12Yes.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15Your brain has obviously got into a habit of looking
0:25:15 > 0:25:18on the negative side of things, so what we're trying to do really
0:25:18 > 0:25:22with this cognitive bias modification is to really try to break that habit.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26The majority of people who have been studied
0:25:26 > 0:25:29showed a significant reduction in their negative bias.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31I have to say if it works, then the beauty of this is
0:25:31 > 0:25:34you can absolutely see you can just do it on your computer at home.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36Absolutely, and that's the idea.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39What we're hoping eventually is that people can almost use this
0:25:39 > 0:25:41as a little top-up. It's like, you know, if you feel
0:25:41 > 0:25:44you're in a particular negative mood, you can do ten minutes of this
0:25:44 > 0:25:47and you know it can kind of just boost that bias.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49OK, I remain sceptical but I will certainly,
0:25:49 > 0:25:51I will certainly give it a go.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58Elaine set it up so I can do this at home three times a week.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Where is it? Sometimes it's really, really annoying,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07I just can't find them. Aha! OK.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Yeah, I'm on a roll.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12I'm just kind of letting my unconscious do the work
0:26:12 > 0:26:16and, ideally, I just kind of don't even think about it.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19I have absolutely no idea whether this is helping
0:26:19 > 0:26:23but I'm not convinced I'm actually getting any faster.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31Where are you, where are you? Ah!
0:26:31 > 0:26:33It looks incredibly simple.
0:26:33 > 0:26:39But there is evidence it will combat anxiety, though not depression.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43# Suddenly, I'm hit
0:26:43 > 0:26:47# It's the starkness of the dawn
0:26:47 > 0:26:51# And my friends are gone
0:26:51 > 0:26:54# And my friends won't come
0:26:54 > 0:26:58# So, show me where you fit... #
0:27:01 > 0:27:05One of the things that undoubtedly adds to my feelings of anxiety
0:27:05 > 0:27:08is my tendency towards self-absorption.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13I'm rarely enjoying the moment, being in the present.
0:27:13 > 0:27:18Instead, I'm off worrying about the past and stressing about the future.
0:27:21 > 0:27:26This is a very common problem and it's making a lot of us miserable.
0:27:26 > 0:27:32So, I'm off to find out more about a second technique that may help.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37I feel like I've got caught in the sort of negative rut
0:27:37 > 0:27:43of ruminating, and I've spent a lot of time now visiting labs,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46learning about the science of the brain but, oddly enough,
0:27:46 > 0:27:52where I'm going now in search of solutions is to visit a former monk.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Followers of different religions have practised meditation
0:28:05 > 0:28:08for thousands of years.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12There are, of course, many different ways of doing meditation,
0:28:12 > 0:28:15including secular versions.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20Tonight's teacher, Andy Puddicombe, was once a Buddhist monk.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24He now teaches a modern take on an old idea.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29Now, take a moment to think who here struggles with sleep.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34Quite a few of you, right?
0:28:34 > 0:28:38When you've gone to bed and you really need to sleep, OK,
0:28:38 > 0:28:41what's the temptation?
0:28:41 > 0:28:43To try a little bit harder, right?
0:28:43 > 0:28:45And then you start to get a little bit tense
0:28:45 > 0:28:48because you're not falling asleep, so you try even harder,
0:28:48 > 0:28:51and then you realise that you're trying too hard to get to sleep
0:28:51 > 0:28:56so you try not to try to get to sleep, so there's a time
0:28:56 > 0:28:58and a place for stepping back and saying, you know what?
0:28:58 > 0:29:01It's not about effort. Meditation's the same.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04You can't force a state of relaxation.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08This is a treat, it's not a chore, OK?
0:29:08 > 0:29:12This is YOU taking ten minutes out of your day to do nothing,
0:29:12 > 0:29:15nothing at all.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18It's such a rare opportunity.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22Ten minutes out of my day is not a huge commitment.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27So, I'm certainly interested enough to want to find out more.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32I'm a chronic insomniac, I wake at 3 in the morning
0:29:32 > 0:29:34and I have loads of thoughts racing through my head.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37I have spent 15 years looking at sleep.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40I have made, you know, at least three programmes on sleep.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43I know pretty much everything there is to know about sleep
0:29:43 > 0:29:45but it doesn't make any difference.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49The science that's coming out is showing that actually even ten,
0:29:49 > 0:29:5215, 20 minutes a day, that's enough to make not only
0:29:52 > 0:29:56a psychological difference but a physiological difference as well.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00Over the past 20 years,
0:30:00 > 0:30:04there have been lots of studies of varying quality into the benefits
0:30:04 > 0:30:09of meditation, which have produced rather conflicting results.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12But, recently, there have been more rigorous studies,
0:30:12 > 0:30:16involving brain scanners and these have allowed scientists
0:30:16 > 0:30:19to see what's happening inside the meditating brain.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25There is evidence of changes in the brains of long-term meditators.
0:30:26 > 0:30:31Even novices doing it for just eight weeks showed some differences.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37In one study, there was increased grey matter in areas
0:30:37 > 0:30:39involved in emotional regulation,
0:30:39 > 0:30:42and increased activity in the left pre-frontal cortex
0:30:42 > 0:30:46that deals with positive emotions.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49It's early days, but the evidence is certainly mounting
0:30:49 > 0:30:54that regular meditation can lead to physiological changes.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57If it is THAT easy, why haven't more people done it?
0:30:57 > 0:31:01Yeah. And this is the thing. I wouldn't say it's easy.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04I'd say the idea is easy, OK?
0:31:04 > 0:31:07The application, like anything, it's like losing weight,
0:31:07 > 0:31:09going to the gym.
0:31:09 > 0:31:10We still need to actually do it
0:31:10 > 0:31:13and we have to do it on a daily basis to see the results.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17There is nobody I know who wouldn't benefit from being more present,
0:31:17 > 0:31:20having a greater sense of calm, a greater sense of clarity,
0:31:20 > 0:31:22and, ultimately, a greater sense of contentment in life.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25- Is six to eight weeks enough? - It is enough, yeah.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28You could actually see changes possibly in my brain pattern
0:31:28 > 0:31:30- in six to eight weeks?- Absolutely.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34So, it's time to give it a go myself.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38I'm going to try and calm my brain down by simply focusing
0:31:38 > 0:31:43on my breathing and being less distracted by my negative thoughts.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51Oh! And I have to try and stay awake.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55I'd like you to begin by just noticing
0:31:55 > 0:31:58the weight of the body on the chair
0:31:58 > 0:32:01and just starting at the top of the head,
0:32:01 > 0:32:05I'd like you to just gently scan down through the body,
0:32:05 > 0:32:08just noticing which parts of the body feel relaxed
0:32:08 > 0:32:12and which parts feel perhaps a little tense or tight in some way.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17Then, if thoughts arise, that's perfectly normal.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19Allow thoughts to come and go.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25As soon as you realise the mind's being distracted,
0:32:25 > 0:32:28just gently bring the attention back again.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37And, in your own time, when you're ready...
0:32:39 > 0:32:43You can just gently open the eyes again.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49OK, so how many of you feel better
0:32:49 > 0:32:53than you did ten minutes ago?
0:32:53 > 0:32:56OK. It's amazing.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59There's a tangible thing happening here.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02We train the mind, we will be more present,
0:33:02 > 0:33:05our mind will wander less, we'll get less stressed
0:33:05 > 0:33:09and we're less likely to go down those routes, those habitual paths
0:33:09 > 0:33:14of stress, of anxiety, of sadness, whatever your thing may be.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24That was good actually, because I wondered
0:33:24 > 0:33:28whether I would be able to get into any sort of a state,
0:33:28 > 0:33:30and I feel a little bit heavy-limbed
0:33:30 > 0:33:33but I also feel perhaps a little bit
0:33:33 > 0:33:35more relaxed than when I went in,
0:33:35 > 0:33:39and I veer wildly between optimism
0:33:39 > 0:33:42and pessimism, so that part of me thinks that I'm going to manage
0:33:42 > 0:33:47to do this and part of me thinks it's simply going to be too hard.
0:33:47 > 0:33:52But, at the moment, the optimist is winning out.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03To give this a decent chance of working, I have to commit
0:34:03 > 0:34:08to doing it every day, building up from ten to 20 minutes.
0:34:10 > 0:34:14And I'm going to combine it with cognitive bias modification.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21In seven weeks, I'll get my brain re-tested
0:34:21 > 0:34:24to see if I've really managed to change my mind.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37OK.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43But, while I do that, there's a deeper question I'm grappling with.
0:34:44 > 0:34:49Where does a tendency towards being optimistic or pessimistic,
0:34:49 > 0:34:53calm or anxious, come from?
0:34:53 > 0:34:55I was a happy child, carefree even.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58So, yeah, there I am.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01I'm not... Don't know if I've ever seen this.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04It doesn't ring a bell.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07OK, so this is definitely the Philippines because I was there
0:35:07 > 0:35:12when I was about, between the age of two and five.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15And there's my mother, right.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21She looks ludicrously young, my mother.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24I asked her about how she remembered ME from childhood
0:35:24 > 0:35:28and she said that I was uncomplicated,
0:35:28 > 0:35:34that I got on with things, I seemed to be open and friendly and, looking
0:35:34 > 0:35:39at this footage, it certainly looks like I had a happy childhood.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43Just on a swing, rocking to and fro.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49There are lots of pictures of us here. There aren't really any pictures of my father here.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52There are pictures of my mother, but my father was always working.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56He was never really around in our childhood - very little.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01In terms of personality, my father was a jovial extrovert,
0:36:01 > 0:36:05while my mother was a bit more uncertain and reserved.
0:36:06 > 0:36:11Like everyone, I came to be who I am today through some combination
0:36:11 > 0:36:14of the genes I inherited and the events I've experienced
0:36:14 > 0:36:16throughout my life.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21Oh, dear!
0:36:21 > 0:36:26I feel I am so utterly different to what I must have been like
0:36:26 > 0:36:28at the age of three or so.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35I look so cheerful.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40There are a lot of rather big theories
0:36:40 > 0:36:42about how personality comes about
0:36:42 > 0:36:46but I'm in search of cutting edge science.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07I'm starting at St Thomas's Hospital in London
0:37:07 > 0:37:10where, for many years, a research unit has been analysing
0:37:10 > 0:37:16and probing a very special group of people - twins.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19Twins are one of nature's wonders.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22Identical twins share the same DNA.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24They often dress the same,
0:37:24 > 0:37:27look the same,
0:37:27 > 0:37:29laugh at the same jokes.
0:37:31 > 0:37:35And so, hundreds of twins have been scrutinised to understand
0:37:35 > 0:37:38the subtle interplay of nature and nurture.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43I just think it's absolutely wonderful, I must admit,
0:37:43 > 0:37:45being surrounded by identical twins.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49Professor Tim Spector has studied twins for over 20 years.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53The first and most obvious question I want to ask
0:37:53 > 0:37:55is, when it comes to your personality,
0:37:55 > 0:38:00how much is inherited directly from your parents?
0:38:00 > 0:38:02Twin studies have told us
0:38:02 > 0:38:05that personality has a heritable component, and they tell us
0:38:05 > 0:38:09that generally 40 to 50% of personality,
0:38:09 > 0:38:11of differences between us in personality,
0:38:11 > 0:38:14are due to genetic factors and the rest, either random,
0:38:14 > 0:38:15or due to environment.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20Tim spent the early years of his career investigating
0:38:20 > 0:38:24what made identical twins uncannily similar.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27Then he changed the focus of his research,
0:38:27 > 0:38:32began to wonder why identical twins are not always identical.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34Three years ago, I just changed my mind.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36Because twins don't get the same disease,
0:38:36 > 0:38:40don't die of the same things, it can't just be genes alone
0:38:40 > 0:38:43and let's look at the differences between identical twins
0:38:43 > 0:38:45and that could probably tell us MORE than why they're similar.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49That's great about being a scientist rather than a politician - changing your mind.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53You can change your mind and no-one stops voting for you, that's right.
0:38:56 > 0:39:02Tim wanted to find out how people who are born with the same DNA
0:39:02 > 0:39:05can end up very different.
0:39:13 > 0:39:18I've come to meet a particularly unusual pair of identical twins,
0:39:18 > 0:39:21Debbie and Trudi.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23Oh! LAUGHS
0:39:25 > 0:39:28Oh, dear! I've obviously got dirty fingers there.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30I'm wiping them off. Oh, what's she found?
0:39:30 > 0:39:36Like all identical twins, Debbie and Trudi were born with the same DNA.
0:39:36 > 0:39:41Have you noticed that your trousers are a different colour?
0:39:41 > 0:39:42You've got brown trousers on.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45No, you're the one in the yellow coat with the brown trousers.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49I've got blue trousers on with a white coat. That's you!
0:39:49 > 0:39:53- No. Oh, yes, that's me. - Yes, that's definitely you, look.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58They shared the same environment for the first 20 years
0:39:58 > 0:40:03of their lives, went to the same schools, had the same friends.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08- THEY LAUGH - I think that's brilliant.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11- You just couldn't coordinate, could you, really?- No, not really.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13We were cute, weren't we?
0:40:13 > 0:40:15You are cute, honestly.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17THEY LAUGH
0:40:17 > 0:40:21You might expect them, like most other sets of identical twins,
0:40:21 > 0:40:23to have similar personalities.
0:40:26 > 0:40:31You can see we're just, you know, happy. Happy, happy, happy.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33- You look jolly children.- We were.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37And that's possibly because we never felt that we were on our own.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39We only ever needed each other.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43Well, let's put it this way, anybody throughout our lives who
0:40:43 > 0:40:45got in the way of that relationship didn't last.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48Scary!
0:40:48 > 0:40:53The twins are still extremely close and spookily similar in many
0:40:53 > 0:40:57respects, but these days, there is a critical difference.
0:40:57 > 0:41:02Unlike her twin, Debbie has developed clinical depression.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05If I had met you at 16, would you have been able to predict
0:41:05 > 0:41:08- which of you would have become depressed?- No.- No.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12- Would you have said either of you would become depressed?- No.- No.
0:41:13 > 0:41:14No.
0:41:23 > 0:41:28Today, Debbie and Trudi have come to St Thomas's Hospital for tests.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33They're part of a group of what is known as discordant twins
0:41:33 > 0:41:35that Tim is studying.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39How can twins who share the same DNA
0:41:39 > 0:41:43and the same life experiences end up being so different?
0:41:45 > 0:41:48Tim thought it must be because something had happened
0:41:48 > 0:41:52to their DNA, so he began looking for differences.
0:42:00 > 0:42:05Because, surprising though it may seem, our genes aren't fixed.
0:42:09 > 0:42:10They can change.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16As we go through life, all our genes are changing constantly.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18As we age, some of them are being switched on, some of them
0:42:18 > 0:42:21are being switched off. And we think that these are actually
0:42:21 > 0:42:26reflecting things like our environment and the lives we've led.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29They're like a marker of our lifelines in a way.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35This process is known as epigenetics, and I think it is one
0:42:35 > 0:42:39of the most exciting developments in modern medicine.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42Life events can change the activity of our genes,
0:42:42 > 0:42:46so it seems at some point in Debbie's adult life, changes
0:42:46 > 0:42:50to genes in her brain made her more vulnerable to bouts of depression.
0:42:51 > 0:42:55So with somebody like Debbie and with Trudi,
0:42:55 > 0:42:58did you actually find differences in their DNA?
0:42:58 > 0:43:02We did, and when we looked at a larger
0:43:02 > 0:43:06group of 30 of our twins, where one was depressed and one wasn't,
0:43:06 > 0:43:10we saw certain genes coming up time and time again.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13We identified about five or six that were clearly different,
0:43:13 > 0:43:16particularly in areas like the hippocampus, which we know are very
0:43:16 > 0:43:19important in anxiety and depression, where a lot of the emotions are.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21I have to say, I find it mind-boggling.
0:43:21 > 0:43:24Well, that's the exciting bit of science,
0:43:24 > 0:43:26and the fact that we're only able to do this in the last
0:43:26 > 0:43:30couple of years because of the amazing advance in technology.
0:43:32 > 0:43:36We all know that stressful, emotional events, like a death or
0:43:36 > 0:43:40a separation, can trigger depression, but what scientists now
0:43:40 > 0:43:44believe is they can also change the behaviour of our genes.
0:43:46 > 0:43:49This raises the enticing possibility that
0:43:49 > 0:43:53if your genes can be switched one way, then maybe, just maybe,
0:43:53 > 0:43:55they can also be switched back the other way.
0:44:01 > 0:44:05Well, we used to say we can't change our genes, but we now know
0:44:05 > 0:44:08there are these many mechanisms that can switch them on and off,
0:44:08 > 0:44:12and suddenly we're regaining control, if you like, of our genes.
0:44:17 > 0:44:21I like the idea of regaining control,
0:44:21 > 0:44:26and that encourages me to keep going at mindfulness and CBM.
0:44:29 > 0:44:32It's quite charming, really, because you just kind of
0:44:32 > 0:44:35have grown to know them a little bit, these faces.
0:44:46 > 0:44:49My seven weeks are almost up,
0:44:49 > 0:44:51and I've got one more neuroscientist to meet.
0:44:51 > 0:44:58'An inspiring guy who's been working on the puzzle of genes and personality for a decade.
0:44:58 > 0:45:02'Professor Michael Meaney has been able to do pioneering work
0:45:02 > 0:45:05'thanks to a unique collection.'
0:45:05 > 0:45:08Wow! This is quite a lot of brains.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11- It's impressive, isn't it? - It is, yeah.
0:45:11 > 0:45:13This is the Quebec Brain Bank.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18It takes an enormous amount of organisation,
0:45:18 > 0:45:22and it was something that started with just an idea, right, of could we collect brains?
0:45:22 > 0:45:28Each of these 3,000 brains once contained a unique personality,
0:45:28 > 0:45:33a unique set of memories and experiences, and each
0:45:33 > 0:45:37is accompanied by a biographical record about the individual.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40This is the great virtue of this particular bank,
0:45:40 > 0:45:44is they use a process referred to as forensic phenotyping, so what
0:45:44 > 0:45:48they're doing in fact is to go back and interview family members
0:45:48 > 0:45:52and to find out as much detail as possible about the developmental
0:45:52 > 0:45:56history of the individuals as well as their level of pathology.
0:46:02 > 0:46:06Michael set out to identify the precise areas in the brain
0:46:06 > 0:46:10where anxiety is controlled, but with billions of cells
0:46:10 > 0:46:15in an average brain, it would have been an impossible task.
0:46:15 > 0:46:21So he turned to a group of small, furry mothers to help - rats.
0:46:23 > 0:46:27He started by looking at the long-term effect on baby rats
0:46:27 > 0:46:30of good or bad maternal care.
0:46:33 > 0:46:38What does maternal love or affection look like in a rat, then?
0:46:38 > 0:46:42It's essentially licking, we think. It's tactile stimulation.
0:46:42 > 0:46:46It's what you do when you hold an infant, when you caress an infant.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49It's physical contact between the mother and the offspring.
0:46:49 > 0:46:53What surprised us is the variation, that there are really some
0:46:53 > 0:46:56mothers who lick two, three times as frequently as do other mothers.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01- So there you see. - Ah, OK, little baby rats.
0:47:01 > 0:47:05Little baby rats. And what the mother's doing in the course of her nursing of the offspring
0:47:05 > 0:47:08is to lick individual pups, which you can see right there.
0:47:10 > 0:47:14And it turns out that the pups that are reared by mothers who lick
0:47:14 > 0:47:18more frequently grow up to develop more modest responses to stress.
0:47:20 > 0:47:24Michael found that the amount a baby rat was licked influenced
0:47:24 > 0:47:27the activity of the gene that protects the rat
0:47:27 > 0:47:31later in life against stress and anxiety.
0:47:31 > 0:47:33This was a clear epigenetic effect
0:47:33 > 0:47:36and was similar to what happened to the twins.
0:47:37 > 0:47:41Something in the baby rat's brain had been modified by its life
0:47:41 > 0:47:47experience, but did this change also affect the next generation?
0:47:50 > 0:47:53Have you reared them through generations to see
0:47:53 > 0:47:56if the pups who were the offspring of low-licking mothers
0:47:56 > 0:47:58themselves become low-licking mothers?
0:47:58 > 0:48:01Yes, the great female rat nightmare comes true.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03They become their mothers.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06And so really what you have is a situation in which you can
0:48:06 > 0:48:10- transmit these differences across multiple generations.- Right.
0:48:10 > 0:48:13I must admit, I'd never thought about neurotic, anxious rats before.
0:48:13 > 0:48:15- You can start now! - MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:48:16 > 0:48:20And what's striking is the changes in the rats' genes
0:48:20 > 0:48:25brought on by maternal care were detectable in their brains.
0:48:25 > 0:48:30What you're looking at here are sections of a rat brain,
0:48:30 > 0:48:33and in particular what we're interested in is the hippocampus.
0:48:33 > 0:48:35And the hippocampus is associated with stress, emotion and memory?
0:48:35 > 0:48:38Exactly, all three.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41So we now have to find the molecules within the hippocampus that
0:48:41 > 0:48:44control the stress response, and we find a particular molecule
0:48:44 > 0:48:46known as the glucocorticoid receptor.
0:48:47 > 0:48:51It turns out that the number of these crucial receptors they found
0:48:51 > 0:48:55in a rat's brain could be predicted by their mother's behaviour.
0:48:55 > 0:48:59Better mothering led to more receptors.
0:48:59 > 0:49:03And what you find then is that the mothers who licked their offspring
0:49:03 > 0:49:09more, produce offspring who then show more modest response to stress.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19- How very satisfying. That must have been rather exciting... - It was, it was.
0:49:22 > 0:49:27I find this work stunning and ever so slightly disturbing.
0:49:27 > 0:49:32A clear link between the amount of maternal affection a baby rat
0:49:32 > 0:49:37receives with changes in its genes and in the anatomy of its brain.
0:49:39 > 0:49:40But is this true of humans?
0:49:42 > 0:49:47This is where Michael's collection of human brains proved invaluable.
0:49:47 > 0:49:52He studied the brains of people who'd suffered from extreme anxiety,
0:49:52 > 0:49:56and he found the same changes as in the rats.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02By looking at their childhood records, he could also tell
0:50:02 > 0:50:08if they had reported receiving good or bad maternal care.
0:50:08 > 0:50:12Maternal care is actually a major influence,
0:50:12 > 0:50:16and perhaps the pre-eminent influence in defining how we respond
0:50:16 > 0:50:19to stress. So it's not only true for a rat, it's true of our own species.
0:50:19 > 0:50:21So if I respond badly to stress events,
0:50:21 > 0:50:24and we all have stress events in our lives, it could be
0:50:24 > 0:50:28because I have low levels of glucocorticoid in my brain?
0:50:28 > 0:50:30It could very well be.
0:50:30 > 0:50:32So the reason I'm a terrible insomniac could be,
0:50:32 > 0:50:35I could blame it on my mother not licking me enough?
0:50:35 > 0:50:37- You can try. - MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:50:44 > 0:50:49When you put the research on twins together with Michael's work,
0:50:49 > 0:50:53it adds up to a really powerful new way of being able to study
0:50:53 > 0:50:56the forces that shape our personality.
0:50:57 > 0:51:02Personality is not just something we are born with,
0:51:02 > 0:51:06but something that is subtly shaped and modified throughout our lives.
0:51:08 > 0:51:14And that thought that we are quite flexible makes me feel cheerful.
0:51:16 > 0:51:22Maybe the meditation and the CBM are starting to work after all.
0:51:23 > 0:51:27- VOICE ON TAPE:- 'Meditation benefits those around you as well.'
0:51:29 > 0:51:34My wife, Clare, certainly seems to think something's happened.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36Given that you've been under quite a lot of stress recently,
0:51:36 > 0:51:42actually, you seem to have been sleeping better.
0:51:42 > 0:51:44And you've certainly not...
0:51:44 > 0:51:49You've dealt with the stress, I think, amazingly calmly.
0:51:49 > 0:51:53Whether that's meditation, I don't know, but I think...
0:51:54 > 0:51:58..I think it's helped. I do think it's helped.
0:51:59 > 0:52:01What do you think?
0:52:03 > 0:52:05SHE LAUGHS Hiding!
0:52:13 > 0:52:19It's results day and I'm feeling uncharacteristically optimistic.
0:52:19 > 0:52:21It's been a really stressful few weeks
0:52:21 > 0:52:24and I have been working a great deal, but I've been sleeping better
0:52:24 > 0:52:28than I have for ten years and I'm feeling quite good.
0:52:28 > 0:52:29But will the machines agree?
0:52:36 > 0:52:40'Although I feel better, I also want some concrete proof.
0:52:40 > 0:52:42'Have I actually changed my brain?'
0:52:42 > 0:52:45Hello, Michael, welcome back to the lab. How are you?
0:52:45 > 0:52:48I'm going to stay in this position, I think.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50Yes, we're gunging you up again.
0:52:50 > 0:52:52So as well as the smiley faces,
0:52:52 > 0:52:54I've also been doing mindfulness meditation.
0:52:54 > 0:52:59I have to say, that is more challenging, just sitting there,
0:52:59 > 0:53:04- not doing anything, sort of just listening to your breath.- Yes.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06Certainly, when it came to the kind of 20 minutes, I would
0:53:06 > 0:53:10find myself sneaking a look at my watch after about 16 minutes.
0:53:10 > 0:53:14Just doing it was so not what I normally spend my life doing.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16OK, do you feel any more positive?
0:53:16 > 0:53:19I think I do, actually. I'm feeling... I feel more cheerful.
0:53:27 > 0:53:32First, the team measure my cerebral asymmetry while I'm resting.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35Seven weeks ago, I had nearly three times more activity
0:53:35 > 0:53:39in my right frontal cortex than my left one,
0:53:39 > 0:53:42which was a striking indicator of pessimism.
0:53:45 > 0:53:48Next, I'm repeating the test with the faces, to see
0:53:48 > 0:53:50if my reaction times have changed.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54Seven weeks ago I was much quicker to hit the button
0:53:54 > 0:53:57when an angry face appeared.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59Will that still be true?
0:53:59 > 0:54:02I'm vaguely conscious there are faces appearing, but...
0:54:03 > 0:54:05..couldn't tell you.
0:54:05 > 0:54:10It's actually completely impossible to tell how you're doing on this.
0:54:13 > 0:54:18So, have seven weeks of mental training made any measurable difference to my brain?
0:54:18 > 0:54:22- Great, moment of truth, then. - Yes, exactly, yes.
0:54:22 > 0:54:26OK, well, we've got the results here, and as you can see here, the blue...
0:54:26 > 0:54:30'First, I get the results for my reaction times to the face test.'
0:54:30 > 0:54:34Seven weeks ago, my reactions to the happy faces were much slower
0:54:34 > 0:54:38than the angry ones, but this has now reversed.
0:54:38 > 0:54:42I'm much quicker to react to happy faces.
0:54:42 > 0:54:46This suggests I may be noticing the positive more in my everyday life.
0:54:46 > 0:54:48And now you can see this has flipped completely.
0:54:48 > 0:54:53- You're now faster when there was a happy face, compared to... - So it really has made a difference.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56I'm amazed. I'm just impressed that it comes up with the results.
0:54:56 > 0:55:00- Yes, and again...- You're measuring things which are unbelievably subtle and speedy, aren't they?
0:55:00 > 0:55:03Well, they really are, and if we look at the reaction times,
0:55:03 > 0:55:06it's milliseconds, so we're not talking about huge differences.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08- It's not seconds, it's milliseconds. - Yeah, thousands of.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11So you consciously wouldn't really be aware of that,
0:55:11 > 0:55:14but actually, in brain time, that's actually quite meaningful.
0:55:14 > 0:55:18'Mine is just one result but it fits in with studies which
0:55:18 > 0:55:24'suggest that this technique can reduce negative bias and anxiety.
0:55:24 > 0:55:30'And the changes in my cerebral asymmetry are also fascinating.'
0:55:30 > 0:55:34The activity in my right frontal cortex has significantly reduced,
0:55:34 > 0:55:38which suggests a shift towards a positive mental state.
0:55:38 > 0:55:42And my suspicion is, even though we can't really separate them,
0:55:42 > 0:55:46my suspicion would be that this is more driven by the mindfulness
0:55:46 > 0:55:49meditation, because there's a lot of evidence showing that with
0:55:49 > 0:55:52these measures, mindfulness is very powerful and very effective.
0:55:52 > 0:55:56So, initially, you were showing a very typical pattern of pessimist.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58Now you're showing a much more typical pattern of an optimist,
0:55:58 > 0:56:02so it looks like your brain has shifted in a slightly more optimistic direction.
0:56:02 > 0:56:06- So you really can change your mind? - Yes, you can, and it's not easy.
0:56:06 > 0:56:11'I am pleased, but the real challenge is to keep on doing it.'
0:56:11 > 0:56:15Fantastic. That's absolutely made my day. Thank you, brilliant.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17I shall go off and celebrate now.
0:56:19 > 0:56:23I'm absolutely delighted and also I'm frankly astonished
0:56:23 > 0:56:26that in just seven weeks you can see that much change.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29I set out to see if it's possible to change my mind,
0:56:29 > 0:56:32and I think I may well have done it.
0:56:32 > 0:56:34I am absolutely thrilled.
0:56:35 > 0:56:39MUSIC: "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
0:56:41 > 0:56:45I started out wanting to be less anxious and more optimistic.
0:56:48 > 0:56:52I discovered that life events can lead to deep, long-lasting
0:56:52 > 0:56:55and measurable changes in our brains.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57# I see the bad moon a-rising... #
0:56:57 > 0:57:01But I've also discovered that our personalities are more
0:57:01 > 0:57:02malleable than many of us think.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10Negative thoughts can dominate your life.
0:57:13 > 0:57:17But I certainly have found something to be cheerful about again.
0:57:19 > 0:57:22# I see the bad moon a-rising
0:57:24 > 0:57:27# I see trouble on the way
0:57:29 > 0:57:32# I see earthquakes and lightnin'
0:57:34 > 0:57:37# I see bad times today
0:57:38 > 0:57:41# But don't go around tonight
0:57:41 > 0:57:44# Well, it's bound to take your life
0:57:44 > 0:57:45# There's a bad moon on the rise. #
0:57:45 > 0:57:48Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd