Interesting Article on the Psychological Roots of Obamamania

Okay, that's not the article, that's a link to a blog with some really great photography of the abandoned Danvers State insane asylum. Love the tunnels connecting all the main buildings. My dick just rolled for initiative.

Here's the actual article.

In his forthcoming book, Born To Be Good (which is not a biography of Obama), Keltner writes that he believes when we experience transcendence, it stimulates our vagus nerve, causing "a feeling of spreading, liquid warmth in the chest and a lump in the throat." For the 66 million Americans who voted for Obama, that experience was shared on Election Day, producing a collective case of an emotion that has only recently gotten research attention. It's called "elevation."
Elevation has always existed but has just moved out of the realm of philosophy and religion and been recognized as a distinct emotional state and a subject for psychological study. Psychology has long focused on what goes wrong, but in the past decade there has been an explosion of interest in "positive psychology"—what makes us feel good and why. University of Virginia moral psychologist Jonathan Haidt, who coined the term elevation, writes, "Powerful moments of elevation sometimes seem to push a mental 'reset button,' wiping out feelings of cynicism and replacing them with feelings of hope, love, and optimism, and a sense of moral inspiration."
..
Keltner believes certain people are "vagal superstars"—in the lab he has measured people who have high vagus nerve activity. "They respond to stress with calmness and resilience, they build networks, break up conflicts, they're more cooperative, they handle bereavement better." He says being around these people makes other people feel good. "I would guarantee Barack Obama is off the charts. Just bring him to my lab."
...
. Since it's tricky to study the vagus nerve, [Haidt] and a psychology student conceived of a way to look at it indirectly. The vagus nerve works with oxytocin, the hormone of connection. Since oxytocin is released during breast-feeding, he and the student brought in 42 lactating women and had them watch either an inspiring clip from The Oprah Winfrey Show about a gang member saved from a life of violence by a teacher or an amusing bit from a Jerry Seinfeld routine.
About half the Oprah-watching mothers either leaked milk into nursing pads or nursed their babies following the viewing; none of the Seinfeld watchers felt enough breast dilation to wet a pad, and fewer than 15 percent of them nursed. You could say elevation is Oprah's opiate of the masses, so it's fitting that she early on gave Obama her imprimatur. And that for his victory speech was up front in Grant Park, elevation's moist embodiment, feeling so at one with humankind that she used a stranger as a handkerchief.

Obama causes one to lactate? Sounds about right.

Posted by: Ace at 05:41 PM

Comments

1 Only if lactate and regurgitate have the same meaning in some post-modernist dictionary

Posted by: dr kill at December 03, 2008 05:44 PM (JWAjn)

2 So big ears make women lactate? I really gotta get out more.

Posted by: WonderWartHog at December 03, 2008 05:46 PM (LVT6e)

3 Lactate? I was gonna say defecate, 'cause that's what happens to me. But then, it's strictly an analytical reaction.

Posted by: Jimmy at December 03, 2008 05:47 PM (/Ft4q)

4 "Just bring him to my lab."

Where he'll be met by this Keltner fellow dressed in a corset and high heels with a lab coat on top.

Posted by: Andrea Harris at December 03, 2008 05:48 PM (Aik/c)

5 This stuff just gets better and better . . . .

Posted by: DCox at December 03, 2008 05:54 PM (2pT9a)

Obama causes one to lactate?

And that's just the liberal men! Liberal women spontaneously orgasm when wthin a hundred yards of His Divine Presence.

Posted by: flenser at December 03, 2008 05:56 PM (/5NNg)

7 "Where he'll be met by this Keltner fellow dressed in a corset and high heels with a lab coat on top."

Dr. Keltner confronts two real-life lactating Obama supporters.

Posted by: notropis at December 03, 2008 05:57 PM (9jNG9)

8 The key word is "Oprah watching mothers", I know there is a lot of them but are they intelligent, critical thinking mothers or of the "I'm so dumb I think Oprah is Einstein" variety?

Posted by: IC at December 03, 2008 06:02 PM (jZNCU)

9 "Elevation?" I thought the term was "Obamagasm."

Posted by: WalrusRex at December 03, 2008 06:07 PM (DVVXZ)

10 "Powerful moments of elevation sometimes seem to push a mental 'reset button,' wiping out feelings of cynicism and replacing them with feelings of hope, love, and optimism, and a sense of moral inspiration."

Sweet, so all I have to do is figure out how to bottle this and everyone's a mark; heck, I can probably just rehash the Nigeria scams or other useless cons and have them work if I can somehow trigger this first.

So much for learning to be a con artist, I just need to study a bit more Organic Chem to trigger this.

Posted by: Gekkobear at December 03, 2008 06:08 PM (X0NX1)

11 I get my elevation from Sarah Palin.

Posted by: aubrey at December 03, 2008 06:08 PM (1YVnX)

12 Keltner believes certain people are "vagal superstars"

Did he leave out a syllable?

Posted by: Captain Hate at December 03, 2008 06:12 PM (Pe2KD)

13 What it boils down to is 63 million Americans thought they could change the world by pushing a button and calling it a day.

They're all back on their couches watching TV now.

Posted by: Warden at December 03, 2008 06:29 PM (QoR4a)

14 Obama's election taught thousands of dangerous sociopaths just how it's done.

Posted by: tachyonshuggy at December 03, 2008 06:31 PM (TXp3z)

Posted by: shibumi at December 03, 2008 06:31 PM (tZB/c)

16 [apologies for above blank post, it is one of those days.]

Instead of concentrating on these 'vagal superstars,' maybe we should concentrate on their followers and remember that there is a sucker born every minute. In fant, if these easily led, bubble brained liberals weren't busy being 'vagally stimualted' they would be working on a ranch in somewhere like Montana for a cult leader, counting the days until their alien overlords appeared to take them to outer space.

Posted by: shibumi at December 03, 2008 06:36 PM (tZB/c)

17 Aubrey #11

Seriously. This doc needs to hook her up to one of his gizmos and see what the deal is with her. She might cause it to blow a gasket, though. She doesn't make me lactate, but she does make me cry. It's fucking weird.

Posted by: stace at December 03, 2008 06:40 PM (JO0c/)

18 You mean I'm NOT actually filled with hope and change?

I . . . I'm so disillusioned!

Posted by: Hal at December 03, 2008 06:47 PM (ATufM)

19 So it's much like the movie Perfume. Except the main protagonist/lead/whatever is Obama.

Posted by: greg s at December 03, 2008 06:48 PM (x47Ed)

20 "vagal superstars"

Stopped reading right there. Done.

Posted by: Vercingetorix at December 03, 2008 06:49 PM (iTDJo)

21 seeing Michelle causes my genitals to retreat into my body cavity. That's not a plus, is it?

Posted by: Frank G at December 03, 2008 07:02 PM (P0rQD)

22 A case study involving Oprah and lactating women? ...wow, big fucking surprise there, guys. (perverts)

What would a followup study say about Hillary and menstruating women?

Posted by: Dr. Phil at December 03, 2008 07:02 PM (aaGD+)

I used to be a vagal superstar, man. And now they treat me like shit. Hey, is that a spare seal flipper you've got there?

Posted by: knut at December 03, 2008 07:03 PM (MJZdi)

"Powerful moments of elevation sometimes seem to push a mental 'reset button,' wiping out feelings of cynicism and replacing them with feelings of hope, love, and optimism, and a sense of moral inspiration."

Reading about psycho teenage nursing-home workers and donkey punching pushes my mental reset button's reset button.

Posted by: FireHorse at December 03, 2008 07:05 PM (5KNeJ)

25 See? It's all about the hot milky loads.

Posted by: Andrew S. at December 03, 2008 07:14 PM (gjy1/)

26 What it boils down to is 63 million Americans thought they could change the world by pushing a button and calling it a day.

Are you saying they didn't?

Posted by: VRWC Agent at December 03, 2008 07:15 PM (gjy1/)

27 "I would guarantee Barack Obama is off the charts. Just bring him to my lab."

Can we leave him there?

Posted by: alexthechick at December 03, 2008 07:24 PM (aFyU7)

About half the Oprah-watching mothers either leaked milk into nursing pads or nursed their babies following the viewing;

Oh for f*ck's sake. That is just disgusting. How in hell do they know that? Were they in their houses? Lactating mothers always leak milk when they hear babies crying. And Obama is one big f*cking whiney little shitsack.

Posted by: porknbean at December 03, 2008 07:25 PM (TYoC4)

29 I know my hemorrhoids flared up at the sight of ObamACORN.

Posted by: Crazy Joe Biden at December 03, 2008 07:35 PM (NLtVk)

30 I came one time while watching an episode of Oprah. But I was kind of a Chubby Chaser when I was younger.

Posted by: pendejo grande at December 03, 2008 08:01 PM (Eb4hF)

31 I think he meant "Vegas superstars". Good grief!

Posted by: sm at December 03, 2008 08:10 PM (gUKfo)

32 No, I think he meant vagan superstars.

Posted by: nikkolai at December 03, 2008 08:37 PM (G8d+5)

33 I think he meant vegan superstars. The lack of meat protein tends to make you fucking insane.

Posted by: wiserbud at December 03, 2008 08:41 PM (EW49d)

34 The only thing which elevates when I listen to Obama is my bile level.

Posted by: Waterhouse at December 03, 2008 09:02 PM (iJfQM)

35 Reports of my demise are actually not that greatly exaggerated. Oprah ain't helpin'.

Posted by: USA at December 03, 2008 09:03 PM (sI5Ho)

36 What does that say about those (like the smart ones here) who are unaffected by the Vagal (good grief) Superstars? I'd really like to know.

Posted by: katya at December 04, 2008 12:02 AM (G3frc)

37 I think it means they were really dudes. And I liked a lot of the "chicks" posting here. Damn you, science! Another Internet illusion destroyed.

Posted by: VRWC Agent at December 04, 2008 01:24 AM (o2slJ)

38 Kinda OT:
I live about 8 miles from the Danvers State Hospital site (Ace linked it on this thread) and it has always been impressive. One had to drive up the hill to actually see it's splendor..It's developed now.
A friend from Danvers tried in vain to keep it from developers and the process took years of legalities. He gave me a tour before it was signed over and Just "WOW".
(it didn't affect MY dick, Ace!)
He was able to "score" one of the giant cuppola's and is presently constructing an addition to his home using this gem.
Weird shit happened there and it was kinda creepy inside!

Posted by: sickinmass at December 04, 2008 01:42 AM (/i4dU)

39 What it boils down to is 63 million Americans thought they could change the world by pushing a button and calling it a day.

They're all back on their couches watching TV now.

And if things get better, they'll believe it was all Obama. They aren't paying enough attention to know that Obama has moved over to McCain's policies as fast as he could.

Posted by: Steve L. at December 04, 2008 08:16 AM (Gkhxf)

40 First of all, I think my new motto for life is "my dick rolled initiative." Well, actually that may just be the story of my life. Second, wtf is it with so-called scientists or clinicians who make ridiculous claims in their statements about their work, like "I would guarantee Barack Obama is off the charts..." I mean, that right their tells me that anything this f*ck says can't be trusted, not only because he's been Obamatized but also because he clearly has a problem with objectivity regarding the subject of his own work.

Posted by: Papapoli at December 04, 2008 10:34 AM (2KgiS)

I get my elevation from Sarah Palin.

Me too.

Posted by: Little VJay at December 04, 2008 01:48 PM (gQ+XA)

42 Alright, so Hope and Change is a psychological diagnosis, so we have drugs to fix that, right? There must be something to fix this rampant spread of liberalism, it's starting to turn AARP members into the illuminati leftists they live to hate.

Posted by: RJ at December 04, 2008 10:02 PM (7nbTg)

43 The MPEG-2 TS Converter is an excellent TS Converter to convert MPEG-2 TS format files. MTS Converter is an excellent mts conversion software that can convert mts files to other video and audio formats.M2TS Converter an excellent M2TS conversion software, can convert M2TS files to other video and audio formats with perfect quality and 300% fast speed. MOV Converter for Mac for Mac becomes one of the best conversion software currently. PSP Converter for Mac for Mac enables Mac OS X users (including Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard), on both Mac Intel and Mac Power PC to convert Video to PSP Video.

Posted by: dfgasdf at December 08, 2008 05:04 AM (7Yvt1)

44 Welcome to wow gold our wow Gold and wow power leveling store. We wow gold are specilized, wow power leveling professional and reliable wow power leveling website for wow power leveling selling and wow gold service. By the world of warcraft gold same token,we offer wow power leveling the best WoW service wow power leveling for our long-term and wow powerleveling loyal customers. wow powerleveling You will find wow powerleveling the benefits and value powerlevelingwe created powerleveling different from other sites. As to most people, power leveling they are unwilling to power leveling spend most of wow power leveling the time wow gold grinding money Rolex for mounts or rolex replica repair when replica rolex they can purchase Watches Rolex what they Rolex Watches are badly need. The Watch Rolex only way is to look Rolex Watch for the best place RS Gold to buy Cheap WARHAMMER ONLINE GOLD. Yes! You find it here! Our WoW Gold supplying service has already accumulated a high reputation and credibility. We have plenty of Gold suppliers, which will guarantee our delivery instant. Actually, we have been getting RuneScape Gold tons of postive feedbacks from our loyal RuneScape Money customers who really appreciate our service.

Posted by: wow power leveling at January 17, 2009 01:56 AM (jlcze)

45 iPhone to PC transfer---How to transfer iphone 3G to pc?

Posted by: Jack at July 02, 2009 09:16 PM (NgcS6)

46 iPhone Movie transfer to PC---How to transfer movies from iphone to pc?

Posted by: Jack at July 02, 2009 09:18 PM (NgcS6)

47 iPhone to Mac Transfer---How to transfer iphone content to Mac OSX?

Posted by: Jack at July 02, 2009 09:19 PM (NgcS6)

Blu-ray to iPod Converter is the easiest-to-use and fastest Blu-ray to iPod converter software for Apple iPod. It can convert almost all kinds of Blu-ray DVD Moive to iPod Movie / iPod Video format.

How to rip blu-ray to ipod? which software can convert blu-ray dvd moive to ipod format?

With this Blu-Ray to iPod Converter, you can share your favourite Blu-Ray movies on more portable devices, as iPod touch, iPod classic, iPod nano.

You can convert any part you like by setting the begin and end time for your conversion through the preview window. And it is very easy to use for novice. Only a few steps, you will get your satisfactory conversion.

Posted by: blu ray to ipod at July 13, 2009 09:41 AM (DQk6u)

49 Some people like LV handbags,Some people like Chanel handbags,but most popel have been keeping an eye on cheap fashion brand handbags .we often talk about all kinds of designer handbags with my friends,most of my friends also like cheap fashion brand handbags.We admire cheap fashion brand handbags designer who often be able to design so many stylish handbags.We want to be a handbag抯 designer in the future too. In our store online，you can buy all series of cheap fashion brand handbags，include: Louis Vuitton,LV Luggage,LV Wallets,LV Agendas,LV Belts,LV Shoes,LV Accessories,Gucci,Gucci Wallets,Gucci Shoes,Marc Jacobs handbags,Marni handbags,Miu Miu handbags,Mulberry handbags,Prada handbags,Thomaswylde handbags,TOD handbags,Bottega Veneta handbags,D&G handbags,Dior handbags,YSL handbags,Coach handbags

Posted by: steve at October 15, 2009 01:06 AM (+aWy4)

50 Discount Boots
Womens UGG
UGG Shoes
UGG Australia
UGG UK
UGG USA
discount ugg boots
cheap ugg boots

Posted by: fdsfds at November 01, 2009 11:08 AM (wMYD4)

51 buy Discount Boots
Womens UGG
UGG Shoes
UGG Australia
UGG UK
UGG USA
discount ugg boots
cheap ugg boots
air force 1 shoes
nike air force
air force 1 mens
air force 1 boots
air force onefrom usa

Posted by: airforceoneshop at November 03, 2009 08:58 PM (LHCCE)

52 Come to our website for shopping with high quality and best service! There have new products,MBT M. Walk
and MBT Lami,Welcome everybody to buy it.

Posted by: mbt shoes at November 08, 2009 03:16 PM (QhfLM)

Posted by: ugg boots at November 12, 2009 10:11 AM (IeIJx)

54 buy [url=http://www.reviewups.com/]discount ugg shoes[/url]
[url=http://www.reviewups.com/]cheap ugg shoes[/url]
[url=http://www.reviewups.com/]cheap ugg[/url]
[url=http://www.reviewups.com/ugg-coquette-casual-shoes-c-22]ugg rainier[/url]
[url=http://www.reviewups.com/]buy ugg[/url]
[url=http://www.reviewups.com/]ugg usa[/url]
[url=http://www.reviewups.com/]discount ugg boots[/url]
[url=http://www.reviewups.com/ugg-classic-short-c-1]ugg 5825[/url]
[url=http://www.reviewups.com/]ugg shoes sale[/url]
[url=http://www.reviewups.com/ugg-sundance-c-5]ugg sundance[/url]
[url=http://www.reviewups.com/]ugg shoes[/url]
[url=http://www.reviewups.com/]cheap ugg boots[/url]
[url=http://www.reviewups.com/ugg-classic-tall-c-3]ugg 5815[/url]
[url=http://www.reviewups.com/]ugg sale[/url]
[url=http://www.reviewups.com/]ugg uk[/url]
[url=http://www.reviewups.com/ugg-knightsbridge-c-27]ugg knightsbridge[/url]
[url=http://www.reviewups.com/]womens ugg boots[/url]
[url=http://www.reviewups.com/]ugg boots[/url]
[url=http://www.reviewups.com/]ugg australia[/url]
[url=http://www.reviewups.com/ugg-classic-cardy-c-2]ugg 5819[/url]from usa

Posted by: cheap at November 14, 2009 11:17 AM (s7MB5)

Posted by: replica watches at November 17, 2009 07:51 AM (xpuiO)

Posted by: replica watches at November 18, 2009 04:11 AM (C/zDM)

Posted by: replica watches at November 18, 2009 08:52 PM (C/zDM)

58 mbt cheap
mbt sale
mbt uk
mbt shoes cheap
buy mbt shoes
shoes mbt sale

Posted by: mbtshoesbuy at November 23, 2009 02:08 PM (bNNim)

59 The proper function of man is to live, but not to exist.ugg classic cardyConquer fear of death and you are put into possession of your life. ugg classic tallThere is a time to speak and a time to be silent. ugg knightsbridgefree shippingmbt cheap
mbt sale
mbt uk
mbt shoes cheap
MBT M.Walk

Posted by: reviewups at November 27, 2009 01:03 PM (xUZwC)

60 hot news for brand shoes online store ,do you want to win more discount ?and popular for younger,and nike air maxwith top quality A ,come on all air max shoes with lowest price for highest quality !

Posted by: nike air max at December 02, 2009 12:15 AM (OKj2x)

Posted by: replica watches at December 04, 2009 09:49 AM (bsW/x)

Posted by: Lacoste shoes at December 13, 2009 04:27 PM (/3s/N)

Posted by: wholesale jewelry at December 15, 2009 04:15 AM (1dySH)

Posted by: wholesale jewelry at December 20, 2009 09:19 AM (1dySH)

65 Un total de once comunidades autnomas estn este jueves en alerta naranja Christmas gift ugg tall boots (riesgo importante) por nevadas y bajan las temperaturas en toda Espa09a, segn la Agencia Estatal de Meteorologa (AEMET). En concreto, se Christmas gift ugg napoule sandal trata de Aragn, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Catalu09a, Christmas gift timberland classic boots Madrid, Navarra, Comunidad Valenciana, Galicia, Pas Vasco, Asturias y Murcia. La cota de nieve bajar a menos de 200 metros en el CantbricoLa Pennsula Ibrica est bajo dos borrascas y un anticicln que crearn un pasillo que permitir el paso de una corriente de aire muy fro, como la que est provocando un temporal de fro glaciar en Europa, aunque es esperan que el fro que suframos no sea tan intenso como en otros pases. An as, se espera que las bajas temperaturas se mantengan hasta el domingo. La cota de nieve baja en el Cantbrico a menos de 200 metros

Posted by: El temporal de fr¨ªo y nieve pone en alerta a once comunidades aut¨®nomas ugg boots|ugg uk|timberlan at January 10, 2010 10:39 AM (tWrEP)

66 Today I accidentally found quite a nice website about MTS Converter --http://www.mtsconverterreviews.com/.
There are so many nice software for everyone to convert mts files.
Now I share with you these powerful software.
MTS Video Converter
MTS to AVI Converter
MTS to MPG Converter
MTS to MPEG Converter
MTS to WMV Converter
MTS to FLV Converter
Convert MTS to MOV
convert mts to mp4

Posted by: KingLinda at January 22, 2010 02:02 AM (epDzY)

The H4 replica watches took replica watches Harrison a massive 13 years to replica watches construct-but this was only the end of a lifetime's work. His genius was clear from the very beginning. Unfortunately many astronomers such as Nevil Maskelyne were convinced that a mechanical solution replica watches would not work and that only astronomy could solve the replica watches longitude problem. The fact that Harrison was from a working class family and had little replica watches formal education probably didn't help his prospects.Solving the longitude problem through horology meant designing a timepiece that could work accurately at sea. When you watch consider the rolling waves, changes in replica watches temperature and generally adverse replica watches conditions the dificulty of this task becomes apparent.The H1 was completed in 1735 and proved replica successful at sea. However the Board of Longitude demanded a full a transatlantic wholesale watch voyage. They gave Harrison a grant of 500 pounds with which he began work on the H2 watches.

Posted by: replica watches at January 30, 2010 11:14 AM (lGnbx)

68 Certainly watches are Replica Watches used to help people record rolex Watches time, but rolex watches nowadays its functions have enlarged. Replica watches are now tag heuer Watches not only objects that tag heuer watches can tell you what time it is, they are also a status symbol. You should not feel strange when you find someone wearing a watch on his wrist, but use the cell phone to tell time. In that situation, the watch is just showing its luxurious function cartier watches. It is normal and cartier watches perhaps also happens to you. .If asked that among the watches of various brands, which one can suit your taste? There is no doubt that most people will choose Rolex. Whichever social class you are in, it is naturally Rolex was known breitling Watches and cherished breitling watches for a long time. However, the elements do not usually enter the market alone, always come with the price tag up to the hand. For this reason, many people, especially men, their dreams of luxury Rolex watches are buried in omega Watches his heart omega watches. What should I do? Rolex watches are simply stunning worn by the rich and famous, right? No, this world is not the world's richest men, is the world of each. All are equal before the search of luxury and be men's watches respected. Within men's watches, the law, when consumers are in the market, women's watches they should women's watches receive the same treatment. This is the real reason why replica Rolex watches are ladies watches ladies watches more welcome than Rolex. Because in this world are not difficult to understand that the rich are much less than people with low income, you agree with me? You are forced to nod and say with certainty that is the reality. These low-income people do not have enough money to save every month. They can not afford such luxury Rolex watches

Posted by: replica watches at February 05, 2010 12:17 PM (TUJDt)

Processing 0.03, elapsed 0.0333 seconds.
15 queries taking 0.0066 seconds, 77 records returned.
Page size 78 kb.
Powered by Minx 0.7 alpha.