An act of charitable giving affects not just one’s emotional state but also lights up certain areas of the brain. Majorly, two important parts of the brain get affected. Both of them are parts that usually light up when we get certain pleasures.
Researchers from several institutions across the globe studied how the brain takes decision about charitable giving. In the experiment, they conducted magnetic imaging on the brain when people donated. The idea was to study the neural pathway involved in making such a decision.
Participants were given an endowment of US $128. They had the choice to make anonymous donations to a charitable cause or to keep the money for themselves. They were also provided with a list of organizations, with the description of the work they do.
While discussing the results, the researchers wrote, “Most participants made consistently costly decisions. They donated, on average, 40% of the money. Participants also took longer time making costly decisions than non-costly, showing that such a decision involves moral emotions in judgment.”
The experiment also showed major sparks in two areas of brain when a person made decisions regarding charitable giving. The first is midbrain VTA (ventral segmental area), which lights up when a person experiences pleasures from good food, sex, drugs and money. The second, striatum mesolimbic network, lights up during an aww-worthy pleasure. Think watching cat videos, baby pictures, Disney movie or anything cute.
WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN:
Conclusively, the experiment proves that human brains perform charitable and altruistic acts more instinctively than we thought. More importantly, indulging in these acts makes a person happy. It meas that generosity can help achieve all kinds of pleasures at the same time!
Go on then, make yourself happy by donating to a worthy cause on Crowdera. Your happiness could double up if you help raise funds for someone in a difficult situation or for a cause you support. Crowdera helps you organize a free fundraiser for them.