Study Finds Beauty Affects Male Brain Like Food, Drugs

[Gauracandra]

This is an interesting article especially in light of the discussion we were having about the nature of beauty a few months back.

 

Study Finds Beauty Affects Male Brain Like Food, Drugs

 

Friday, November 09, 2001

BOSTON — Seeing a beautiful woman triggers a pleasure response in a man's brain similar to what a hungry person gets from eating or an addict gets from a fix, scientists say.

 

Researchers said the study, published Wednesday in the journal Neuron, shows that feminine beauty affects a man's brain at a very primal level, not on some higher, more intellectual plane.

 

"Beauty is working similar to a drug," said Dan Ariely of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management, a co-author of the study.

 

Researchers showed a group of heterosexual men in their mid-20s pictures of men and women of varying attractiveness, while measuring the brain's responses through computer imaging.

 

The beautiful women were found to activate the same "reward circuits" as food and cocaine do. The men had a negative reaction to pictures of good-looking males, suggesting they were threatened by them, study author Hans Breiter said.

 

Breiter said evidence that beauty stimulates these primal brain circuits has never been shown. He said the findings counter arguments that beauty is nothing more than the product of society's values.

 

"This is hard-core circuitry," Breiter said. "This is not a conditioned response."

 

Scientists said the findings could have major implications for research into what motivates people.

 

"We think of these things as a products of a very high level of thought," said John Mazziotta, director of the Brain Mapping Center at the University of California at Los Angeles, "and it may be very basic and fundamental."

[cakora]

Interesting...

Then again, on a primal level we all knew this anyway.

 

Also, it's been proven more attractive people tend to be hired more often for jobs. And even, 'ugly' people have been sacked for this reason, although not admitted by the employers.

[Gauracandra]

This is very true. People also tend to trust taller individuals more. I've always thought this might be due to the fact that as children we learn to trust adults and parents who are taller than we are. Its interesting how we are likely influenced on even very subtle levels. You can be sure marketers are studying all of this to know just how best to manipulate us into buying their products.

 

Gauracandra

[cakora]

Originally posted by Gauracandra:

People also tend to trust taller individuals more. I've always thought this might be due to the fact that as children we learn to trust adults and parents who are taller than we are.

Maybe I should wear high heels more often..

 

 

[Gauracandra]

Yes, that might work. Also we can avoid horizontal stripes, and go for verticle stripes in our clothing. It provides a "sliming" effect and will make us appear taller. Also, it might help to get some short friends to hang out with you at work. This way relatively you appear taller There are so many ways this can be done....

 

Gauracandra

 

PS I once saw a commercial for a mini-van with a family standing right next to it. The mini-van was over the "father's" head. Then one day I saw that mini-van in person (don't recall the make or model) and it was like below my shoulder. Then I realized that the marketing department was hiring shrimps to make the van appear bigger and roomier.

[gHari]

In the earlier discussion of beauty was it mentioned that beauty is one of the opulences that can result from a 'good birth' after good karma just like wealth, intelligence and other qualities possessed by Sri Krsna? Perhaps this is Krsna's mercy for attracting people to higher conscious persons.

 

I used to say that I could sit and look at her all night long. I guess I was just a junkie for the beauty drug. There was a devotee in the Toronto Temple who was soooooooooo beautiful, I could hardly look at her for fear of becoming totally mesmerized and to be found staring at another's wife. Literally awe-inspiring beautiful. She ended up leaving her husband for the temple president who I guess was just as mesmerized, and they disappeared to live happily ever after. Never saw her since, but he shows up at Ratha Yatra with his hippy pony tail wailing on his mrdanga.

 

Devotee women are so very special. One mother pujari touched my arm where the muscles had been overworked carrying Lord Jagannatha down from the cart. She held it exactly where the pain was, at the bend in the arm. I had never felt anything so very gentle before - the muscle tension immediately disappeared.

 

I have no doubt that on sankirtana countless Prabhupada books found new hands solely because the devotee was a beautiful lady. By hook or by crook - or perhaps by Lord Caitanya' arrnagement.

[Tarun]

In original King Kong film, after Kong falls wounded from Empire State Bldg antenna, Armstrong expresses:

"Kong wasn't killed by your airplane machine guns; he was killed by Beauty."

[Tarun]

In original King Kong film, after Kong falls wounded from Empire State Bldg antenna, Armstrong expresses:

"Kong wasn't killed by your airplane machine guns; the Beast was killed by Beauty."

[Gauracandra]

Lets also not forget Mohini-murti. Made all the devas and asuras slack-jawed... even on the highest planets this holds true it seems .

 

Gauracandra

[valaya]

Krsna must surrender to Radha...