Science News has an article about how positive emotions reduce the emergence of cold symptoms… Although experiencing positive emotions did not affect how many people in the test were infected, experiencing positive emotions DID affect how many people exhibited symptoms of infection. Previous studies in this area have shown a correlation between negative emotions and the increased emergence and development of disease. This study, however, showed no difference in the emergence of symptoms between people experiencing negative emotions and those experiencing neutral emotions.
In any case, studies like this serve to confirm the connection between emotional states and the immune system. Let’s hope that utilizing this connection may one day lead to improved designs for products and programs used in hospitals and other medical facilities.
For more on emotions and health, see:
Expressing Love May Lower Your Cholesterol