Two weeks ago, I turned 50.
And I caught myself doing something subtle but dangerous: I was aging myself.
Not biologically. On paper, I’m doing great. Most longevity and biomarker tests place me 10 to 20 years younger than my chronological age. My body is strong. My health is solid.
But mentally? I had started building a quiet list of excuses.
When my son Hayden, who somehow speaks seven languages, asked why I wasn’t learning Spanish and Italian, my answer came out automatically:
“Well, you’ve got a teenager’s brain. It’s easier for you.”
When my kids invited me to join them in new physical practices, I’d hesitate.
“My wrists aren’t as solid.”
“My recovery isn’t what it used to be.”
“That’s easier when you’re younger.”
None of these thoughts sounded dramatic. They sounded… sensible.
But taken together, they formed a pattern.
I wasn’t listening to my body.
I was talking it into decline.
And then I read a fascinating study by Ellen Langer that completely messed with my worldview.
The study that was almost never published
This study was conducted in 1979.
And here’s the part most people don’t know: The results were so wild that Langer hesitated to publish them.
She feared the scientific community simply wouldn’t accept what she’d found.
At the time, the idea that belief, identity, and mindset could meaningfully alter physical aging was considered fringe, if not outright heretical.
Today, with what we now know about meditation, placebo effects, neuroplasticity, stress biology, and longevity science, her findings are far easier to digest.
But back then?
They sounded impossible.
And yet, they happened.
When you read this study—really read it—I guarantee it will change how you think about your age and your life.
Here’s what she did.
The counterclockwise experiment
Langer took a group of men in their late 70s—some close to 80—and brought them to a retreat.
No supplements.
No exercise program.
No medical interventions.
Instead, she recreated the world of 1959.
The furniture.
The music.
The magazines.
The radio broadcasts.
The conversations.
The men weren’t asked to remember 1959.
They were instructed to live as if it were happening now.
They spoke in the present tense about events from that era.
They carried their own luggage.
They weren’t treated as fragile or dependent.
They were treated as fully capable men in their prime.
And then Langer measured them—before and after.
What happened next still makes people uneasy.
What changed in just one week
After only seven days, measurable biological and physical shifts occurred.
Not opinions.
Not feelings.
Measured changes.
Their posture improved.
Several men stood taller, reversing the hunched posture we associate with aging.
Their strength and flexibility increased.
Grip strength improved. Movement became easier and more fluid.
Their memory and cognitive performance improved.
Standardized tests showed real gains.
But here’s where it gets truly mind-bending.
Their eyesight improved.
So much so that some of the men were told they needed new glasses.
Not because their vision worsened… but because it got better.
And then there’s my favorite detail.
Their fingers got longer.
No—their bones didn’t grow.
What happened was this:
Inflammation in their finger joints reduced.
As swelling decreased, the fingers could extend more fully. Mobility returned. Measurable length increased.
Aging had been masquerading as inevitability.
But it turned out to be, at least in part, reversible signaling.
Even independent observers noticed. When people who didn’t know the experiment were shown before-and-after photos, they consistently rated the men as looking younger at the end of the week.
No drugs.
No devices.
No hacks.
Just a shift in identity and expectation.
The part that hit me hard
Here’s the implication I couldn’t ignore.
These men didn’t “fix” their bodies.
They changed how they related to themselves.
They stopped behaving like old men—and their biology followed.
That’s when I realized something uncomfortable.
I wasn’t being limited by my health.
I was being limited by my self-talk.
So I changed the rules at 50
Here’s what I decided as I crossed this milestone.
I stopped telling myself I was too old.
I’m learning Spanish and Italian.
I’m picking up skills I once believed had expiration dates.
I’m experimenting with new fitness protocols weekly.
Through ClassPass, I’m trying practices I once avoided—Pilates, yoga, new movement systems. And I’m shocked at how rapidly my body adapts.
Most of all, I’ve returned to martial arts.
At 17, I was an international fighter with a double black belt in taekwondo. Competing at the U.S. Open and training at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center shaped my discipline—and my life.
Then I stopped.
Not because I had to.
Because I told myself I was “too old.”
So I’m back.
Working on flexibility. Practicing kicks and forms. Chasing a full split again—yes, like Jean-Claude Van Damme in Kickboxer.
I’ve even redesigned my living space so movement is always within reach. Between meetings, I jump up, stretch, drop push-ups, and practice kicks.
Not because I’m chasing youth.
But because I refuse premature decline.
How you talk to your body matters
What Langer later showed—in another Harvard study—is just as powerful.
She found that how you talk to your body can sometimes have a greater effect than what you give it.
Your body is always listening.
Every decision is a conversation.
When you say,
“I’m too old for this,”
you’re talking to your body.
When you say,
“Let’s try this,”
you’re talking to your body.
When you experiment with a new movement practice,
when you challenge an old belief,
when you act like possibility is still open—
you’re talking to your body.
The question is:
What kind of conversation are you having with yours?
Why I can do all this now
What’s allowing me to explore all these health practices and return to martial arts is that I’ve radically changed how I work.
By using AI to clone how I think, decide, and create, I’ve gained 50× leverage.
What used to take me 50 hours now takes one hour.
As a result, I’m starting new companies and taking a week off every month just to enjoy life.
I’m taking classes in stand-up comedy, music, and languages.
I’m traveling more.
And I’m finally making time for my body.
If you want to learn how to create that kind of time, so you can actually add health, movement, and exploration back into your life, I’m teaching a class on cloning your brain with AI.
I’ll show you the exact workflows I use to create 50× leverage.
And then?
I invite you to join me in this adventure.
Stop aging yourself.
Try something new this week.
Your body is listening.
Stay curious,
105 Responses
Well done 💪🏻 impressive if you can do Jean Claude Van Damme Splits 🙌🏻 I feel it is really important not to become obsessed by age. Age is just number!! I never limited myself because society expects aging. Sod that!! 😂 ReCode our DNA 🧬 biological AI processor!!
I saw that documentary. It was inspiring. It was clear, direct evidence on how individuals talk, think, and act. We are young as we want to be. The body loves to be fit and healthy. The mind enjoys learning new skills and concepts. I wouldp
recommend all people to watch this doco.
I’m 68 yrs young not old , saying old makes a difference saying young males a bigger difference !
Im still working to keep the place I enjoy , all be it doing things I dreamt of when I was younger ,now I’m really involved with my team of dogs , looking at making time to train properly , breading pheasants , ongoing pest control in our 17 acre backyard to keep the native birds happy .
Just thinking how much work controls how you live. What I’m doing now I should of done years ago, not waited for artery blockages and surgery to get me to reconsider/define what I’m doing !
Have fun always be young 🙂
I am 85. For the past year I’ve been thinking exactly what Vishen just said. I’ve been thinking these thoughts, but my predominant self talk has been that I do not have the consistent self discipline to implement them. I CAN conjure up that consistent self discipline though, I know I can!
More than a decade ago I learned that the brain is the most devoted servant of the mind, therefore I stopped saying “I am 55 years old”. Since then I started saying “I am 55 years of experience “! I am now 70 years of experience! That is what my mind says to my brain and my brain to every organ in my body! I talk with every cell and organ of mine and express gratitude for staying healthy every morning after praying and before meditating with the Silva Method. God Bless
Hi !
Thank you Vishen, so true !
I decided when I turned 40 (many years ago) to always write my birthday 10 years later in all non – official questionnaires.
Try !
It really makes you feel more free and young.
Selfmade limitations dissolve just like that. It s amazing.
I have exactly the same experience. So this make me very happy.
I turned 69 this year , and have decided that everthing my enviroment toldme is their issues. Not mine. I have time frredom and I feel Great, IF you look AT yourself with this eyes you become powerful . Trust this and you Will have a graet life.
This is exactly what I need right now Vishen. Up until 5 weeks ago I was a vibrant, seemingly healthy 71 year old with a full life and multiple plans for the future. I learned to speak Spanish after moving to Mexico from Scotland as a retirement adventure. I teach basic Spanish to some of my friends, I love to travel, play golf and am self motivated to keep fit.
Then…5 weeks ago, I slipped off a broken kerb, dislocated my ankle and broke it in 4 places. Not content with that, I somehow fell in the bathroom 2 weeks ago fracturing my wrist in 2 places. Two surgeries and multiple plates and screws later, I’m now the bionic woman!
All of this has badly messed with my mindset and I’ve become preoccupied with thoughts of dying young (yes I still feel young!) I absolutely and wholeheartedly need to quit this nonsense. Where the heck did it come from in the first place? It’s absolutely rocked my world and this mindset change is scaring me.
I hope this programme will be recorded as I have a physio session right at the time of the live session.
Love your content, very inspiring ! Everyone should follow you. So many spiritual lessons to be learned. Thank you !
I agree completely! I own and run a yoga studio with various styles including fitness classes. So many people stuck to Gentle or Slow Flow Yoga and that’s it! I hear all the time, I’m scared to to the circuit training or other yoga because it’s too hard… Even though I always say just do what you can.
I often quote Dr. Seuss to my clients .. You don’t stop playing because you get old, you get old because you stop playing.
So play, try, have fun living and doing!
I am also 50 this year but no one ever guesses I’m that age because I play!!! And yes, still do handstands;)
Great article!
Thank you for making more people sensitive to this. This has become my passion and life’s work, showing people they can take control of how they age. I have a video series where I spotlight incredible people. So thank you for bringing visibility to this topic. A friend trained for her 1st triathlon at almost 70. And at 52 I plan to start skiing again.
Well, Vishen, I‘m about 18 years older than you, and I was the involuntary participant in an experiment of one – ME.
Last summer, I went back to Canada to visit friends and family. I was squatting at a friend’s place.
He’s a couple of years younger than me, but had serious health issues – type 2 diabetes and memory problems.
I also met an old friend from my college days. He had developed epilepsy. Other people I met had problems like Neuropathy and other health issues. After a few weeks, my friend used his diabetes testing on me and told me I may be at risk of developing diabetes. I started having shooting pains in my feet — a symptom of Neuropathy. Then I had problems with my knees when hiking, and I even had problems catching my breath. After hanging out with older people, I was getting older myself, developing all kinds of psychosomatic illnesses.
Fortunately, I am back in Thailand. Just finished one week at the Nomad Summit, where I participated in a Buildathon. I was with a group of four Thai students. We vibe-coded an app. I joked that if I added their ages, that would come up to about my age 🙂
I no longer have any issues with blood pressure or blood sugar. Neuropathic symptoms and knee pains are gone. The trick is to hang out with people younger than 50. It’s at age 50 that people start complaining about all kinds of ailments. Last summer, I positioned myself with old people. My “experiment” was the opposite of doctor Langer’s experiment; I was in a position to feel older than I normally feel. So the opposite also has an effect on your health.
From my 40s onward, I’ve always hung out with people younger than me. Now it’s 20 to 30 years younger. I ride my bicycle every day. Go to the gym, hike in the mountains. I’m learning all I can about AI. I am vibe coding apps which may lead to creating new companies. I am learning the Thai language, which is one of the toughest languages to learn.
So be careful with the people you hang out with, they may make you feel older.
it is amazing and hard to believe, but real and achievable.
I loved this topic. I am 62, used to be very athletic, but have in the last several years, let my activeness decline. You have motivated me to speak differently to myself. I have 4 children (3 adults) and they continue to include me in activities but I usually say “no.” I am going to change my thoughts.
Also, thank you for sharing the study from back in the 70’s. Very interesting and I love the results!
Best wishes in re-entering your activities such as Taekwondo. You are an awesome inspiration!
Thank you
I knew I was right!
Since I was a kid, everybody thought I was 10 years younger. When you are 20, though, you don’t like to be told you look 13. But when 30 arrived, it was fun and I loved people giving me 20 years old.
So I started a tradition: every year, the candles on my cake were 10 fewer than my real age. I never told myself out loud, (and not even thinking) how old I was, and refused to say it out loud to people “because my cells don’t know my age,” I used to reply.
Now that I am 39 (+10), people are all the time, and consistently, telling me that this year I will be 50. They can’t help themselves!
I feel like all my work has been thrown out of the window. Why do people have to put you down? Why do they believe that thinking this way is silly and that I need to stay grounded?
In the last 2 years, though, I feel I am 50 and going crazy because they tricked my brain.
I know I was doing right because I always felt in every cell that I was 10 years younger.
So now I have to work harder than ever to convince my cells that nothing happened, we are 39 years young, and that we can do anything!
Hi Vishen,
Out of 30 subscription emails that I receive daily your are the only ones that I actually open and enjoy reading. I chose Mindvalley because of Jeffrey Allen and you. I have started doing his program and I am so happy I did. I finally feel like my energy is coming back, I am developing a meaningful relationship with my mind and body and for the first time in my life I am regular and consistent with my self-work. So thank you for creating the platform that allows me to do that. This is so important for me especially as I am professionally a healer and I have been neglecting giving myself the priority and time to do this work myself.
I wish I could share this content with my mum. She doesn’t speak English well enough to understand the material and I have been trying to find similar practices in Polish but they’re simply not the same. Out of all of the energy workers I had tried I really resonate with Jeffrey and I love the simplicity of the practices, overall calmness and honesty as well as the short duration of the material so its absolutely possible to do it everyday. I know maybe this is far fetched, but they are AI models nowadays that translate in the voice of the person and match the lip sync with the language you’re translating to. It’s pretty incredible. I would love to be able to send a polish version of this course to my mum, I feel it could transform her life in a positive way. Maybe Mindvalley could be multilingual? The prices would have to be different dependently from the country (polish people for instance earn 5x less in proportion to USA or even Germany or France) but the potential for positive change around the World and new revenue I think is huge.
I am sorry if this is a wrong place to pitch that kind of idea, I am just always so excited about sharing great material once I found something valuable.
Once again, thank you so much, I loved to read about reversed aging.
Have a lovely day!
This hit a nerve. I surgically menopaused in 2015 & I had really bad hot flushes. But I refused to just accept it; started HRT & carried on as before.
But these days I’m feeling the strain & in reviewing what you wrote, I’ve come to realise it’s because my friends are going through menopause, that’s what we talk about – brain fog, weight gain, …. And I feel it now, 10 years later because I’m allowing myself, giving myself reasons.
Thanks for the trigger. This has to stop! No more allowing myself to be old!!!
Very excited about your topic! This has been my life-exploration, and which I share with family, friends, clients. I am 70 y/o, in excellent health, athletically active, with no pain or aches, nothing chronic and NO medications– not because I’m against them, but because the health situations that arose were dealt with in a more holistic manner. Medical tests and MDs confirmed the results.
I say this humbly, because I firmly believe that anyone else can have this as well. I’m not a freak!
Dear Vishen.
You are a true visionary person. When I read what you wrote, I knew about the Langer experiment from before but it doesn’t change the facts you explain.
I am 68 becoming 69 this year. I try every day to think of myself as still 25.
Certain things I don’t do anymore like downhill skiing as I have had too many accidents and I want to continue to play golf many years from now. I am not afraid of skiing because of my own skills, its more the danger to be injured by others actually skiing into you and create an accident.
Nevertheless I strongly believe in the strength of our mind and what we can achieve by making decisions and focusing on what we truly believe in.
Talking with your body is something we all need to do and we must be grateful to our bodies and the fantastic opportunity we have to experience this world called planet earth.
Looking forward to hearing more from you.
PS you always welcome back to Can Bordoy in Palma de Mallorca.
This is so powerful. Love this research. I look forward to observing and reversing any aging negative speak. I have this inner knowingness at age 56 that I am healthy, vital and can take on any new activity physical I wish, but I have negative speak about my brain function decline and ability. This changes today. Thank you