Comments on MoodRaiser.com: Peace, Love, and Oxytocin

Thanks for this article, I posted a link to it on ...

2011-03-20T21:40:28.736-07:00

Thanks for this article, I posted a link to it on facebook and my website. I'd like to add that an interesting side effect of MDMA use is that a person experience an elevated level of oxytocin release, perhaps being the reason why people are more open and trusting while using MDMA and other empathogens.

I came across an interesting experiment. Paul Zak ...

2011-02-18T10:32:21.685-08:00

I came across an interesting experiment. Paul Zak found that when you give someone a dose of oxytocin, they tend to become more generous.

"Interestingly," wrote Joyce Gramza, "Zak found that oxytocin had no effect on two percent of the participants and that these students fit the personality profile of sociopaths."

Read more about sociopaths here.

The sociopath I identified (and I have been aware ...

2011-02-18T04:25:41.636-08:00

The sociopath I identified (and I have been aware of diagnosing them for over 15 years and this is the second one I have personally identified in 15 years)I notice does not become mroe generous with alcohol. When drinking beer with the boys he still behaves like the sociopath - avoiding paying for any beers, making promises to buy the next round and never buying it - And if confronted about it a manipulative argument of excuses and double standards, etc..

So thought I should mention this because with Oxytocin it was just a serendipitous observation and I believe people will notice the same with the affect of alcohol - normally people relax and become more generous.

Great article, thank you! As a chiropractor, this ...

2010-09-27T23:36:05.876-07:00

Great article, thank you! As a chiropractor, this is what I try to promote every day.

This just in... "The organizers of the 12th ...

2010-05-09T13:12:29.025-07:00

This just in...

"The organizers of the 12th International Conference of Human-Animal Interactions have announced that at their meeting this July, scientists will be presenting their latest findings confirming that friendly human-dog interaction releases oxytocin in both human and dog."

http://iahaio2010.se/uploads/press-release_bond-with-petsfinal.pdf

"The experiment found that women and their dogs experienced similar increases in oxytocin levels after ten minutes of friendly contact. Also the women's oxytocin response was significantly correlated to the quality of the bond they reported in a survey taken prior to the interacting with their pets."

Read an article about this research in Psychology Today here: Dog Good.

Pets! Another interesting question. Having a dog m...

2010-04-30T22:52:08.695-07:00

Pets! Another interesting question. Having a dog measurably reduces your daily stress level, which has a greater impact on your health and mood than even deeply relaxing once in a while.

Read more:

Reduce Stress With a Guardian Angel

Dog-Gazing Raises Your Oxytocin Levels

That's an interesting question. The research o...

2010-04-30T22:45:21.333-07:00

That's an interesting question. The research on oxytocin is exploding right now. If you'd like to keep up with it, a great source is:

http://www.hugthemonkey.com/

Sign up for her updates. New research findings are constantly coming out on oxytocin.

Susan Kuchinskas is the author of Hug the Monkey. You can connect with her through her web site or on Facebook. She might know the answer to your question:

http://www.facebook.com/SusanKuchinskas

Where do pets fit into this? (Both patting and cud...

2010-04-30T19:22:16.516-07:00

Where do pets fit into this? (Both patting and cuddling them and generally having them around)

i wonder how this effects those with Schizoid pers...

2010-04-30T10:13:13.579-07:00

i wonder how this effects those with Schizoid personality disorder.

Thanks for the great info Adam. I can't wait ...

2010-04-29T13:15:33.980-07:00

Thanks for the great info Adam. I can't wait to go hug my loved ones! I've definitely experienced the mood spirals you described where the more resistant to touch I am, the more resistant I become, and vice versa.

Also, thanks to Dean for the alcohol info!

back in the day... when pregnant mothers had pre...

2010-04-18T09:40:19.429-07:00

back in the day... when pregnant mothers had premature labor a physician might use alcohol in IV solution to stop the contractions. Alcohol has the effect of canceling oxytocin while at the same time it's effects have an initial similarity to oxytocin. This ability of alcohol to produce the initial positive effects of oxytocin while actually negating oxytocin is of concern. While a few studies show some increased levels of oxytocin with moderate alcohol use these are correlational studies. Because alcohol "mocks" oxytocin I refer to alcohol now as Moxytocin or Mock xytocin... you'll feel more social and more serene but the next day you will feel worse, be less social, less desirous of touch. I do drink in moderation myself. alchol for oxytocin deficient individuals I think is still questionable.

As hairdresser one of the first things i do when i...

2010-02-21T10:48:00.727-08:00

As hairdresser one of the first things i do when i meet with a new client is to touch them. A greeting handshake and when i consult, resting my hands for a few seconds on the shoulders. When i have chosen not to do this for whatever reason. The entire experience has changed for us both when compared to when i do. One of my hobbies is reading body language. Its nice to happen across this article. Finding the relation of touch and natural chemical release and how it affects our behaviour/ feelings. This makes me want to read more and test it out in my profession. Where trust and touch, play such an important role. I love what i do and i want people to feel good and comfortable with me. For an all around good experience.

You can watch a short video of a group of people w...

2009-06-18T17:02:27.849-07:00

You can watch a short video of a group of people who take an oxytocin lozenge or two and then try to describe their experience:

Oxytocin Party

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4 Free H...

2009-06-18T15:00:34.561-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4

Free Hugs!

I am a Massage Therapist. This article shows the i...

2008-05-16T05:22:00.000-07:00

I am a Massage Therapist. This article shows the importance of touch and how we need it to be a healthy society. Our culture has gotten away from "touching" and it has caused a multitude of problems. HUG someone today...for their health and yours!

Near the end of the book, The Oxytocin Factor, the...

2008-01-04T23:00:00.000-08:00

Near the end of the book, The Oxytocin Factor, the author (Kerstin Uvnas Moberg) says something worth remembering:

"Today, drugs that raise the serotonin level and, as we have seen, the oxytocin level as well are the most popular medicines in the Western world. Even people who could be considered healthy are taking such preparations to become less fearful, happier, and more optimistic.

"But we have other alternatives. We can choose activities and pursuits that release the oxytocin stored in our own inner medicine cabinet. With this vital knowledge about the calm and connection system, we can choose to make exercise, meditation, or massage a priority over extra hours at work. We can choose to lie down for a short rest before running out to buy groceries. We can play with our children or take a walk instead of scheduling power breakfasts or spending hours at the computer."

I've been reading the book, The Oxytocin Factor: Tapping the Hormone of Calm, Love, and Healing, and found a few more benefits of oxytocin. The author and researcher, Kerstin Uvnas Moberg, wrote:

"Levels of the stress hormone cortisol have been shown to fall in adults who receive massage, and these adults feel less anxious. Another experiment showed that it was easier to solve math problems quickly and correctly following a massage.

"All these effects are similar to the effects of oxytocin injections that we saw in animal experiments: lower blood pressure, less cortisol, lower anxiety level, and more effective learning. As mentioned earlier, the effects of oxytocin are more powerful and long-lasting after repeated injections, and the same can be true after a series of massage treatments."

I just read an article explaining some recent rese...

2007-12-26T10:18:00.000-08:00

I just read an article explaining some recent research on oxytocin that said it makes people more generous. But I think that's really the wrong way of thinking about this.

One way of saying it is that an elevated level of oxytocin increases generosity. Another, and I think more accurate way of saying it is that an unnaturally low level of oxytocin causes people to be unnaturally stingy.

Most of us would have a much higher daily level of oxytocin if we were getting enough physical affection. A thousand years ago or a million years ago, everyone was very likely having far more physical contact with the people they loved. That much contact would be the norm. It is natural for humans.

So a high level of oxytocin is (or at least should be) the norm. Saying oxytocin makes people generous is like saying vitamin C makes people hold together better (a lack of vitamin C causes scurvy, which makes connective tissue of the body come apart).

In other words, instead of seeing oxytocin as a generosity-raiser, we could more usefully think of the lack of generosity as an symptom of an oxytocin-deficiency.

Here is a list of things you can do to raise your ...

2007-11-22T14:10:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of things you can do to raise your oxytocin level:

1. massage
2. physical touch
3. sex
4. orgasm
5. being in the presence of someone you feel close to and trust
6. being near someone with high oxytocin level
7. eating carbohydrates and fat
8. drinking a moderate amount of alcohol
9. being trusted
10. thinking about someone you love
11. exercise (probably)
12. meditation (probably)