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Sad movies are good for your health and a natural anesthetic

Sad movies

Did you know that sad movies are good for our health and are a natural anesthetic? Scenes that brought us to the edge or even to tears - such as the one from Titanic, when Leonardo DiCaprio freezes in the icy water, or the ending of Hačiko: The Story of a Loyal Dog, about a dog who accompanies his master to the train station and return there every afternoon to greet him after he returns from work - have, according to scientists, had a beneficial effect on our health. What's the trick? What isn't laughter half of health? Is the other half sadness?

Sad movies they are good for your health and a natural anesthetic. They came to this surprising conclusion Oxford University researchers. Based on an experiment - the scientists showed two different films to two groups of volunteers, the first about a homeless person and the second about a neutral topic - they came to the conclusion that Dramatic and emotionally charged movies trigger endorphins. Endorphin is a hormone that is secreted in the brain and is released in a state of pain (among other things, it is produced during physical activity, so we usually feel more satisfied after movement) and when we are under stress to help us manage it. It is known as natural pain reliever and is after effect similar to morphine.

Ancient tragedies offered catharsis, and sad movies bring happiness to life.
Ancient tragedies offered catharsis, and sad movies bring happiness to life.

And how did scientists come to the realization that sad movies are beneficial for health? Using the method sitting against the wall (wall-sit), with which they measured pain threshold. Individuals had to sit in a chair with their backs against it, and the researchers monitored how long they could last in this position. "Those who reacted the most emotionally also had their pain threshold raised the most and connected more with their group," he commented on the observations. Robin Dunbar, professor of evolutionary psychology.

READ MORE: A list of movies that will make you cry


Increase the level of endorphins in your body and feel happier with the great sad and moving movies we serve you below. As an interesting fact, we should add that years ago the film was declared the saddest film in history The Champ Italian director Franco Zeffirelli's 1979 film about former boxing champion Billy Flynn (Jon Voight), who retired from the ring to devote himself to the upbringing of his seven-year-old son, and in order to ensure a better future for him, decides to put on the gloves again. If you think tears will make you less of a man, fear no more. Say you're doing it for your health. Because laughter is half of health, and the other half is obviously sadness.

Best Sad/Touching Movies:

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

The Fault in Our Stars (2014)

Steel Magnolias (Steel Magnolias, 1989)

Good Will Hunting (1997)

Little Women (1994)

Dangerous Minds (1995)

Up (Up, 2009)

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Love (Amour, 2012)

Forrest Gump (1994)

Dead Poets Society (1994)

Into the Wild (2007)

Life is beautiful (La vita e bella, 1997)

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)

The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)

Finding Neverland (2004)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

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