Brain Scans Reveal That Loneliness Changes the Way We View the World

A recent study indicates that lonelier people may see the world as more threatening. Learn what brain scans can tell us about loneliness on the brain.

By Sara Novak
Sep 19, 2023 6:00 PM
Abstract concept depicting loneliness on the brain
(Credit:Jorm Sangsorn/Shutterstock)

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Humans are meant to be around one another. It’s been that way for millennia. We needed each other to hunt, construct homes, procreate, care for our offspring and protect one another against the saber-toothed tigers and dire wolves that meant to harm us. We also need each other to be happy and to take up the burdens that sometimes weigh us down. All told, being a human is exceedingly difficult when life is lived alone.

Research shows that socialization is so engrained in our survival that when we’re lonely, it has both psychological and physical effects on us. It even impacts our brains. 

Lonely People View the World Differently

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