Many religions involve washing, from Muslim prayer rituals to Christian baptisms. This weekend, in the period between last week’s Jewish new year and the holy day of Yom Kippur on Wednesday, Jews around the world are reflecting upon the sins of the past year and casting them off into water.
In fact, recent experiments have shown a connection in the brain between being physically clean and feeling morally cleansed. Two groups of people were given a story that involved them telling a lie. In one case, they told the lie by email, and in the other case, over the phone.
Then they were given a random list of general supermarket groceries and toiletries, which they had to put into a virtual basket. When their items were analysed afterwards, it was found that the group that had written the lie had chosen handwash, while those who had spoken it went for mouthwash.
This was further backed up by brain-imaging studies, which show how much the literal and metaphorical are closely linked in the brain. Perhaps Lady Macbeth, trying to clean away the ‘damned spot’ of blood on her hands, had a point after all.
Dr Daniel Glaser is director of Science Gallery at King’s College London
Why lying makes us want to wash ourselves
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder