The researcher set out to prove his own pet hypothesis, several of the experiments quoted are based on self-reported results (of "feeling warmer"?) and the whole thing seems wholly unquantifiable.
People "felt loved" and "that life is worth" living. Who asked them? Were those leading questions? Did they spontaneously report? What was the protocol? What about control groups?
This is an interesting article, and it does link to several (sometimes inaccessible) papers, but despite curiosity for the topic, I can't help but be surprised at how superficially some of the research mentioned seems to be substantiating the claims made.
People "felt loved" and "that life is worth" living. Who asked them? Were those leading questions? Did they spontaneously report? What was the protocol? What about control groups?
This is an interesting article, and it does link to several (sometimes inaccessible) papers, but despite curiosity for the topic, I can't help but be surprised at how superficially some of the research mentioned seems to be substantiating the claims made.
I guess I expect more rigor from the NYT.