Somato-psychic means; that which originates in soma (body, matter) and affects psyche i.e. mind (actually us).

Stress is universal. It is conscious, subconscious and unconscious in us; and it is completely unconscious in plants and small animals.

The stress results due to trauma, metabolic disorders, infections, malignancies, genetic disorders, hormonal variations, alterations in the neural and neuroendocrine reactions; and so on, which are influenced by our responses to internal and external surroundings.

Our responses in turn; are determined by the degree of our being influenced by our body metabolism, musculoskeletal strength, endocrine status, autonomic and central nervous system activity; such as memory, association, correlation, analysis, synthesis, contemplation, learning experience!

The point here is; we (which are certainly not mere bodies) suffer from the stress in direct proportion to the degree of our being �bound� in the bodies!

At least some times we find that it is not possible to communicate our agonies; to any one; as we are unable to figure out what is happening to us. At other times we cannot confess because we feel; no one would pardon us or absolve us! We are uprooted and devastated, without any identifiable reason!

We may put the blame on the family members, spouse, relatives, friends, social events, media, government; and so on. But actually the cause of our stress is our being controlled by our body and its perceptions.

In 7000 million human beings and billions of other living organisms; there are trillions of cellular, nuclear, molecular; metabolic, endocrine and neuroendocrine events, which cause stress. Considering the size of this perceivable universe and the permutations and combinations of the events; it would be easy to understand why the stress in the form of exploitation, inequality, wars, strife, terrorism, crimes and other maladies; continues to inflict us and why palliative and ad hoc remedies continue to fail or turn out to be counterproductive!

In holistic renaissance or superliving; the universe orients to its true self by remembering (jikra, NAMASMARAN) the name of God (the governing super conscious center of universe). Instead of bodies and their perceptions; the true self tangibly governs and overcomes individual and universal stress; and thus realizes unity and harmony.

STRESS is common and ubiquitous and hence the Total Stress Management, which is a golden chance and opportunity to blossom together, must also become �common� or �ubiquitous�; i.e. accessible and available to every one; in every nook and corner of the world.

Now; we have to see why and how; NAMASMARAN is a core of Total Stress Management, or why and how Total Stress Management is actually a byproduct of NAMASMARAN!

Let us begin with our experience that when we are agitated; by our physical needs, passions, emotions, thoughts and ideas, and feel restless to satisfy them!

But some of us simultaneously get agitated by the plight of people! The plight of people enthralls, wakes up, and inspires us to bring about change (revolution) so as to eradicate these plights. This leads to intellectual and emotional turmoils and motivation and mobilization in several ways. Thus we may read, study, participate in struggles, philanthropic activities and so on. The social circumstances however; appear dark and annoying. The change, the revolution appears to be the only purpose of life, even as the exact program of action and/or blue print of the revolution; are obscure.

The frenzy of all these complex feelings are so much, that any proponent of God or NAMASMARAN appear as �unconcerned about peoples� true needs, unbothered about real issues such as poverty and injustice; and hence antisocial, hypocrite, parasitic or at best; stupid or gullible�!

The restlessness within; is so much that it propels us to search for instant solutions and impatiently! It compels us towards addressing every problem that appears in the news papers or on TV, apart from those in our own personal life.

As a result, we get engrossed in relevant physical service, philanthropy, active participation in sociopolitical struggles, emotional expression in poetry, intellectual analysis, discussions, public speeches, writing articles and books etc. These appear to be the methods of self assertion and solution to the problems!

Most importantly; withdrawal from such activities is suffocating, unbearable and killing!
Namasmaran appears to be a despicable escapism from such �very useful and urgent� activities. As regards it social importance, it appears to be actually counterproductive. It appears to paralyze us; who are facing problems; and make us parasitic and paranoid! It appears to make us dependent and helpless. It appears to discourage, distract and dissuade us from accepting the challenges of life in personal and social life and facing them victoriously!

The fervor of our mind never gets calmed by the advice and idea of NAMASMARAN, though many a times we appreciate the honesty and selflessness of the individuals advocating it.

One important experience however begins to turn us towards NAMASMARAN.

Which is this experience?

The experience of endlessness of human grief, malady, disease, tribulations, problems and the agonies and helplessness; which together; constitute STRESS! We begin to realize that all our activities are not nonsense; but they are piecemeal and ad hoc. They are not holistic. They are not radical. They at best provide temporary, symptomatic or palliative relief.

Second realization that propels us to NAMASMARAN; is the universal nature of NAMASMARAN!

By virtue of being free of every possible prejudice and devoid of every possible kind of intellectual, emotional, social, cultural and other impositions it is truly universal and NOT sectarian. It NEVER interferes with the tradition, custom or belief systems of any body. In fact it reorients us to our own selves! It provides profound empowerment and reenkindles our potential to blossom together! It revitalizes and rejuvenates every kind of person from any age, religion, ideology, theism, atheism and all possible socioeconomic and other differences.

Simultaneously if we read various arguments regarding NAMASMARAN in books such as the biography of Shri Brahmachaitanya Gondavlekar Maharaj, by Prof. K.V. Belsare; coupled with our experiences with a variety of activities of service and social struggle for justice; we begin to get convinced that NAMASMARAN can evolve and transform our perspective, vision, intellectual framework, emotions and instincts; and evolve us to conceptualize the Total Stress Management by blossoming us into objective or cosmic consciousness.

We begin to realize that; if this happens in every walk of life; then it could usher in; individual and global blossoming, by actualizing revolution with truly holistic contents i.e. globally benevolent perspective and policies!

We generally feel like sharing our perspective with others; and hence may write books on NAMASMARAN, VISHNUSAHASRANAM, GEETA etc., publish them, try to sell or distribute them, and/or spread the message of NAMASMARAN with our perspective; as far and wide; and in as many ways; as we can!

But at this juncture we have to address some arguments against NAMASMARAN as well!

1. NAMASMARAN does not seem to do anything, if compared to for instance; scientific research or socio-political manipulations! It does not seem to work and produce results; even comparable to those produced by relatively simple agricultural activities or other handicrafts! On this back ground; what is the basis to prove that NAMASMARAN can lead to global blossoming?
There is no basis; excepting inner conviction! We have to practice and verify. There is nobody else who can provide the proof! In short we are privileged to practice and experience ourselves and not depend on anybody else for the proof! We are honored to have the freedom of NOT having to believe in anybody!

2. If we say that NAMASMARAN evolves us into objective or cosmic consciousness or imparts global perspective, then the argument is, �Can you prove the cause and effect relationship?�

The answer obviously is �No�! We can not prove that NAMASMARAN evolves us into objective or cosmic consciousness or imparts global perspective! Even if we provide the whole concept of Total Stress Management or holistic perspective; one could always argue that this concept has nothing to do with NAMASMARAN! Hence here also there is freedom of not having to believe!


3. At some point; we realize that our opinions were not changed through �our will�, but were changed due to the influence of factors beyond our comprehension constituting the �field�, cosmic consciousness or God that encompasses and influences not merely �us� but everything; including the people in the universe! Hence; whether people in the world would get associated with NAMASMARAN and evolve into cosmic consciousness; would also be determined by the same �field�!
What is the proof for existence of such a field?

Obviously; we have no proof that a field exists and influences us! Because even if it exists and influences; we can not show the cause and effect relationship of such influences on our life and hence we can not provide any proof for such blossoming (which may be �our mission or vision�)!

There is again freedom to practice and experience and no burden or getting shackled into intellectual framework made by some one else! There is no compulsion to get drowned in the some body else�s� words but freedom to soar in the realm beyond words!

4. Another argument is; NAMASMARAN has no influence on individual or social life; practicing NAMASMARAN is wastage of time! One may feel that NAMASMARAN has benevolent role, because of erroneously attributing the good changes in him or her to NAMASMARAN! Actually it could be the other way round; that is; good changes in him or her; have lead to him or her to develop interest in NAMASMARAN!

This argument is because of inability to �see� anything tangible and rather the addiction to believe in a thing; only if it is tangible! It can not therefore be refuted. It can only be satisfied if the questioner exercises his or her freedom to blossom his or her capacity to �see�!

None of the questioners; amongst us; has to slavishly believe that NAMASMARAN can influence the social life, because the blossoming is irresistibly omnipresent impossible to be turned blind eye to; amongst and around the practitioners of NAMASMARAN.

If we have doubt about whether NAMASMARAN blossoms us into cosmic consciousness, or cosmic consciousness absorbs into NAMASMARAN; or cosmic consciousness some how is related to NAMASMARAN; or whether NAMASMARAN has anything to do with cosmic consciousness; then also there is freedom to blossom and experience rather than condemned to get buried in the sterile semantics!

All in all, practice of NAMASMARAN and the experience associated with it; are innate and beyond linguistic comprehension and communication; though the glimpses of its supremacy can be described. We have freedom NOT to believe in NAMASMARAN; and provisionally accept, study, experiment out and experience!

It appears however, that soon; the individuals and the societies of world; would get freedom from the conflicts generated from fulfillment or otherwise; of their physical needs, instincts, feelings, arguments, flights of imaginations, infatuations and restlessness, and get the privilege of being associated with NAMASMARAN, objective bliss, cosmic consciousness, globally beneficial perspective, policies and their implementation; irrespective of the nature of cause and effect relationship (which also incidentally; is a product of human intellectual framework!)!

5. What is the sense in the claim that there is active peace in NAMASMARAN; as suggested by some? What is �Active Peace�? What is so great about it?

The �Active Peace� is a concept to suggest desireless (absence of subjective desire) desire i.e. objective desire. This is a stage in life reached through NAMASMARAN. It can not be and need not be arbitrarily imposed on oneself, because, even as it is pleasant to those who achieve it; it is not usually imaginable and hence agreeable to us; who are engrossed in sensual pleasures.

In fact we find it quite dreadful to be �freed� from these �pleasures�! This is a kind of �fear of loss�! We become miserable even with the thought of such �dreaded freedom�! However if we think keenly, then we can (in the course of NAMASMARAN) imagine how sublime and towering is this stage, why it is acclaimed in books like Bhagavad Gita; and why knowingly or unknowingly; we all tend to move towards it.

6. Is it not true that NAMASMARAN has nothing to offer in material terms?

It is true that NAMASMARAN does not ensure any concrete material gains as such. But NAMASMARAN actually �converts� us from our �seeker� status into a �master� status! We become masters of our petty selves! In fact this is the hallmark of progress in any culture; anywhere in the world.

However; what sort of conversion we undergo; what sort of masters we become; has no tangibility. Hang delivered a child and having become mother; need not be proved to others; or need not be proved by getting certified from others. The mother knows it more than anyone else! It is her privilege! Hence this change within us through NAMASMARAN is accessible to experience and not dependent for its validation on any words and proofs!


7. Why is NAMASMARAN ridiculed by many of us?

NAMASMARAN binds us in �something� non sensuous; and due to our immaturity; appears to force us away from our likes and dislikes i.e. our ego. Since this is painful; we ridicule it as foolish, escapist, nihilistic, nonsense and erratic activity.

8. Is it not true that NAMASMARAN is a kind of paranoid behavior or slavish behavior?

Initially; NAMASMARAN gives us the feeling of submission, prostration, defeat, surrender, prostration by negation of ourselves. But actually this negation is of ego, and victory of our true self. But since we do not realize this initially, we feel that this is an unpleasant and discomforting paranoid activity, which is not true.

9. What is the use of practicing NAMASMARAN right from childhood?

If we practice NAMASMARAN right from childhood even without much understanding; this subconscious learning experience remains in our subconscious and is pivotal in setting us free from our lower self. Because of NAMASMARAN we become oriented to our higher selves and keep blossoming! We become relatively far more patient and persistent in the process of Total Stress Management and overcome intense impulses (arising from our ego or lower self) to give up NAMASMARAN! Thus we overcome or conquer the STRESS resulting from the conflicts between lower and higher self. This is why we should practice of NAMASMARAN right from childhood. We call it japa, jaap, jikra etc.

10. Is there any reason to believe that the world would unite and blossom?

No. There is no reason to believe in anything. There is no reason to disbelieve; or waver and vacillate either!

It is however a golden opportunity and privilege to practice NAMASMARAN and be free to �see� the world re-exploring the hitherto imperceptible unity and blossoming together!! This is analogous to appropriate linking of the bogies of a train; or assembly of various parts of a car; or even connection of various types of cells in a body!

It must be clear by now to all of us; that the STRESS can be managed temporarily and symptomatically by shopping, shower, swimming, skating, skiing, singing, slimming and such other ways; which serve as adjuvant measures.

Moreover; it must also be clear that we have the greatest bounty; in form of studying and practicing Total Stress Management and NAMASMARAN; embodying holistic perspective, policies, plans, programs, implementation and administration; at all levels; and realizing individual and global blossoming; inside and outside!

This is how NAMASMARAN is an inevitable and inseparable core of Total Stress Management, or in fact; Total Stress Management is a byproduct of NAMASMARAN!

Let us understand NAMASMARAN in some more details and from different angles.

Namasmaran usually embodies; remembering the name of God, Guru, great souls; such as prophets and whatever is considered as holy e.g. planets and stars. It is remembered silently, loudly, along with music, dance, along with breathing, in group or alone. Further, NAMASMARAN is either counted by some means such as fingers, rosary (called SMARANI or JAPAMALA), or electronic counter; or practiced without counting. The traditions vary from region to region and from religion to religion.

However the universal principle underlying
NAMASMARAN is to reorient our physiological and social being; with our true self and establish and strengthen the bond between; our physiological and social being; with our true self; and finally reunification or merger with our true self!

Since individual consciousness is the culmination of every activity in life; and NAMASMARAN the pinnacle of or culmination of individual consciousness; NAMASMARAN is actually opening the final common pathway to objective or cosmic consciousness; so that individual consciousness in every possible activity gets funneled into or unified with Him (our true self)!

Thus NAMASMARAN is in fact the YOGA of YOGA in the sense that it is the culmination of consciousness associated with every possible procedure and technique in the yoga that we are familiar with. It is the
YOGA of YOGA because it is the culmination of consciousness associated with all the activities in the universe, which it encompasses as well! It is YOGA of YOGA because everybody in the world irrespective of his/her tradition and the beliefs; would eventually, ultimately and naturally reach it; in the process of liberation. Even so called non believers also would not �miss� the �benefit of NAMASMARAN as they may remember true self through one symbol or another�!

Just as NAMASMARAN is YOGA of YOGA it is meditation of meditation also! This is because the natural and ultimate climax of every form of meditation; is remembering true self or merging with cosmic consciousness effortlessly!

These facts however have to be realized with persistent practice of NAMSMARAN and not blindly believed or blindly disbelieved with casual approach!

In short NAMSMARAN is super-bounty of cosmic consciousness for every individual to realize it (cosmic consciousness)! This is truly a super-bounty because a person, who experiences it, rises above mercenary, commercial and even professional and charity planes and manifest super- transactions in his or her life!

These are just few observations to give rough idea about what is NAMASMARAN. NAMASMARAN is an ocean of bliss. Its true meaning is beyond description in words and has to b experienced, not by one or few persons sporadically; but most preferably, by billions!

The culmination of NAMASMARAN is ANUSANDHAN, which is a state of ultimate freedom; or being connected with true self; through the name of God as inspired by the Guru (NAMASMARAN); in traditional practice. ANUSANDHAN is beyond all subjective considerations and pursuits; and has benevolent effect of facilitating ANUSANDHAN; on the entire universe!

NAMASMARAN would certainly enlighten, empower and enable some people; out of those billions practicing NAMASMARAN; to evolve, guide and consolidate; the global conscience and empower the global perspective, policies, plans and programs; and thereby usher in global unity, harmony and justice.

We should not merely believe, disbelieve, imagine, conjecture, or theorize casually; about what is written here; and should not develop presumptions, prejudices, liking, acceptance, respect, disliking, rejection; and should not go into uncertainty, dilemma, indecision, wavering, and vacillations! In stead; we should; though provisionally; accept and actually study and practice Total Stress Management and NAMASMARAN; and verify.

Any and every obstacle that obstructs the respiratory passage can cause strangling, breathlessness, suffocation, asphyxia and death; if not promptly and skillfully removed. This is very true for the holidays and casual leaves in India.

The �paid holidays� and �casual leaves� in India are like respiratory obstructions! We �enjoy� these holidays and leaves; by misuse of tax payers� money and/or persuasively or coercively extracted donations and extortions.

Holidays and casual leaves in India implicitly imply; that we have right and privilege or obligation to shirk daily responsibility. This policy of �holidays and leaves� is an overtly populist; and subtly and covertly implies contempt towards the work or schools. Our enjoyment being diagonally opposed to our work, we are bound to favor and promote unaccountability, irresponsibility, excuses, escapism, frustration, disgruntlement in the work and studies.

Naturally the insincerity in work and studies is expressed; in absenteeism, indiscipline, copying, bogus students, teachers and so on.
Why don�t we learn to enjoy holidays at our own cost; i.e. by taking �without pay leaves�? Why should we not; irrespective of our caste, religion, region, culture and so on; �enjoy our duties� rather than getting addicted to �irresponsibly and shamelessly enjoying� holidays at the cost of others?

Most of us would agree to this in principle; but probably would argue that unsafe and hectic commuting, excessive traveling time, exertion, exhaustion, poor working conditions, disheartening and discouraging unfairness, unaccountability, and lack incentives; destroy all the initiative and enthusiasm to be fair and sincere; and hence enjoy the holidays and casual leaves in any way they become available!

However; we have to realize that; all these problems have to be solved, but by other means! The �holidays and casual leaves� are; NO solution!

It is hypothesized that; through NAMASMARAN we (decision and policy makers, administrators and workers in different grades) and can learn to �enjoy our duties and be fair�, and enjoy �holidays and casual leaves� more creatively and constructively at our own cost; i.e. �without pay�!

This hypothesis can�t probably be verified convincingly enough and tangibly enough; by just casual and passive practice of NAMASMARAN.

We need to appreciate and globalize the fact that practice of NAMASMARAN embodies not merely the enlightenment but its expression in every field of life; and thereby; bring about conquest of inner and outer evils; and individual and global blossoming.

Even if we are prone to get dragged by the beast within us, and make life miserable for ourselves and the others, we still have potentials to blossom together; and they can be manifested!

Even as we are individuals and hence fallible; and make mistakes; we still have freedom to make efforts to be objective and accurate.

Even as we have limitations to our capacities, and are unable to achieve miraculous feats, we have freedom to make choices in terms of actions; from the options in front of us.

Let us understand that India is not merely a geographic portion of the earth. She is not merely the rivers and mountains or castles and palaces! She is neither the riches nor the poverty of people.

India is the incessant ongoing search of truth and ambrosia of Truth that manifests from time to time throughout the millennia!

The seers; known and unknown to he documented history have manifested omniscient, eternal and omnipotent ambrosia of truth; the true spirit of India! let us imbibe and share it with the world happily and thankfully; for ever; through NAMASMARAN!

In view of this spirit; even if it is true that the most of the options available to us as solutions; are depressing, degenerating, deteriorative, disastrous and destructive, we still have freedom to blossom; through NAMASMARAN and make benevolent options available for ourselves, the people of the world and the subsequent generations.

This is exactly why I am writing this. I am convinced that; even as we are shackled in casual, petty, superficial, piecemeal and ad hoc approach on a variety of problems causing stress (and mismanage the stress); we still can develop holistic approach and work for individual and global blossoming and overcome stress! Some of the examples of how we can do this; in brief; (as the details are described in many books and articles; of mine and others); are as follows.

Thus;
For health problems; our solution is; more hospital buildings, more gadgets and more equipments.

Actually we need a thrust on study, practice and training of Holistic health and Holistic medicine. For example training in NAMASMARAN, byhearting hymns from different languages, learning about the medicinal uses of common foods and herbs, yoga, pranayama etc.

For the lack of education; our solution is licensing more institutions and greater use of learning aids and stationary.

Actually we must emphasize on Holistic Education (One which includes development and training in spiritual and productive domains in addition to cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains)

For unemployment and beggars on the road; our solution is payment to unemployed people and anti�begging law.

Actually we require to eradicate; with priority; the causes of unemployment such as policies, which destroy the self employment and small scale and home industries (e.g. excessive production of water coolers, air conditioners, auto rickshaws etc) and restrictions on traditional jobs (such as pot making, cane work, circus and others).

For traffic jam our solution is; building more flyover bridges.

Actually we need to reinforce the public transport system and curb the production and import of private cars and two wheelers, besides taking adequate measures to reduce the movement of people from villages to cities.

It is true that stern actions must be taken against rule and law breakers. Discipline must be enforced. Condition of roads must be improved. But these steps have their limitations and can not be heavily depended on. In fact corruption, cutting of trees, congestion, chaos and crimes can multiply, besides pollution.

For suicides of farmers; our solution is subsidy package.

Actually the solution is; to resort to empower the farmers and reorient them from market oriented harvests to what can be called soil friendly and health friendly harvests. The farmers have to be reoriented to the traditional wisdom of culture, agriculture and organic farming. They have to be reminded of; the use of neem, cow urine, cow dung etc. What is required; in addition; is making; water and electricity available with topmost priority. The ban on slaughter of animals would go a long way in improving the farmers� conditions.

For price rise; our solution is import.

The actual solution is; to ban all deceptive, aggressive and imposing advertisements, which create artificial demands leading to wasteful and luxurious economic (apparently pleasurable but effectively poisonous) activity in a small section of the society; leading to price rise; at the cost of the rest. For example; cold drinks, ice creams, fast foods, bars, restaurants, five star hotels, wines, alcoholic drinks, cosmetics and other luxuries are thriving but the vast majority is deprived of basic needs. In fact; the policy of production of and �marketing� for few, has to be reversed to; production and �exchange�; for the vast majority.

For socioeconomic backwardness; our solution is reservation policy.

Actually we require �productive and earn and learn� kind of education for all; so that unproductive unemployed and needy population would become empowered, productive, self sufficient and dignified in every way.

For the growing injustice and crimes; our solution is increasing the number of laws and police.

Actually we require simple and honest laws drafted in peoples� language and understandable to people so as to discipline the people for their growth; and simultaneously remove all the laws, which were created to suppress and exploit the people by the previous alien rulers. We require policies by which the traditional and ethnic art, sports, cuisine, remedies and skills are NOT ALLOWED to be suppressed by the tactics of the exploitative and individualistic marketing culture. In fact in the interest of everyone, the concept of individual and global blossoming; which we call SUPERLIVING or Total Stress Management has to be universalized; to overcome the globally disastrous individualistic, exploitative globalization!

For so called �lack of progress�; our solution is more foreign investment.

Actually; we must define progress in terms of holistic health and restructure our policies in every field such as health care, agriculture, industry etc rather than stooping and surrendering to the culture of pettiness, glamour and glitter.

For shortage of electricity; our solution is load shedding.

Actually we are required to shift our priorities from �appeasing the exploitative and luxurious few�; to the �welfare of all�, by stern energy saving measures; coupled with development of pollution free, low cost, low investment alternative energy sources.

For road accidents; our solution is compulsion of helmets.

Actually the number of private vehicles on the road has to be reduced, the number of public vehicles has to be increased, the weekly offs have to be different and the working hours also have to be different so that most people do not travel at the same time. Moreover, the on campus or nearby residence has to be insisted as and when feasible. Most importantly, holistic education and rejuvenation of traditional jobs must be ensured so that the helpless and forced movement of people to the cities and the inhuman crowding of cities can be reduced.

For shortage of fuel; our solution is; generalized sermons to common people (who in no way consume fuel) to reduce fuel consumption.

Actually the fuel needs can be reduced if public transport in improved and the bicycles are promoted. There has to be shift of policies from development of airports; to the improvement in public transport and the infrastructure in the villages, such as solar energy, wind mills, gobar gas and such many, food storage etc.

We can cite hundreds of examples to show how we; by NOT going to the roots of the problems; work brilliantly and artistically but in a superficial and petty manner, with individualistic, fragmented, sectarian and divisive perspective, in misguided direction of increasing stress! Hence our work is rendered ineffective and/or counterproductive! Further our talents are drained in extremely selfish and cheap entertainment options such as gambling, drinking, casinos, prostitution etc.

All the solutions provided can possibly be modified, or refined in terms of details, because, they are not the solutions provided by experts from those fields. But they surely indicate the most essential core or the crux of the solutions. There could be many more holistic solutions also. All these can be cooperatively and complementarily implemented universally; if the third eye of cosmic consciousness is opened through the ways of self development; such as NAMASMARAN.

Connections between the speed of thought and feelings of euphoria have been reported in cases of clinical mania. New research now links racing thoughts with risk-taking among the general population.
The speed of modern life has increased dramatically in recent decades, and faster is almost always better. But, is that true when it comes to your own thoughts? In two experiments, reported in Psychological Science, scientists manipulated participants� thought speeds and assessed their appetites for risk. In the first experiment, three dozen students read aloud at different speeds � twice their normal speed or half their normal speed. Then, each student played a computer-simulated game that required them to blow air into a balloon without popping it. Students were rewarded with five cents each time he or she pumped air into the balloon, but lost money each time the balloon popped. The students who had read quickly were more willing to take risks with the balloon (and the money), attempting and achieving more pumps, but also popping more balloons than the students who had read slowly.
In a second experiment, 52 students watched fast-, medium-, or slow-paced movie clips that contained similar content. The students who watched the fast-paced clips reported a greater intention to engage in real-world risky behaviors, including unprotected sex and illegal drug use. Those students were also more likely to minimize the danger associated with each risky behavior.
Previous studies have shown a link between life in the fast-thinking lane and mood. Experimentally accelerated thought is achieved through instructions to brainstorm freely, exposure to multiple ideas, encouragement to plagiarize others� ideas, performance of easy cognitive tasks, narration of a silent video in fast-forward, and controlled reading speed. Regardless of the types of thoughts that were induced (money-making schemes, word choice, or feelings of depression or elation), individuals demonstrated an increased positive affect after thinking quickly. Increased speed of thought also amplified feelings of power, creativity, and energy, and inflated self-esteem.
Researchers attribute these findings to the subjective experience of thought speed and the joy-enhancing effects of fast thinking. Likewise, thinking slowly is, apparently, a killjoy.
The need for speed is undeniable today�s fast and furious world. But, at what cost? Are we riskier because we are always thinking faster? Or are we happier? Will letting the brain stop and smell the roses decrease our desire to take risks, or will we just become depressed? Human thought is the product of an integrated, sophisticated network that involves neurons, sensory input, and the brain. Speed is fundamental to the thought process, but it is not the only determinant of effectiveness. Efficiency, timing, and appropriateness must be balanced with speed to keep us safe and running smoothly in whatever lane of life�s highway we choose.