Dr. Loren Toussaint is a professor of psychology at Luther College. He is chair of the Discover Forgiveness Advisory Council for the Templeton World Charity Foundation (discoverforgiveness.org), president of the Forgiveness Foundation (forgivenessfoundation.org) and Forgiveness International, and associate director of the Sierra Leone Forgiveness Project. He has served as a visiting professor at Mayo Clinic and Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, and as a consultant to Cancer Treatment Centers of America and Boise State University.
Dr. Toussaint’s research examines forgiveness and other virtues and how they are related to flourishing. He edited a scientific collection titled, Forgiveness and Health: Scientific Evidence and Theories Relating Forgiveness to Better Health (Springer), and authored a short book titled, Forgiveness: Questions and Simple Answers (Amazon). He directs the Laboratory for the Investigation of Mind, Body, and Spirit (https://www.luther.edu/faculty/loren-toussaint/)
Dr. Toussaint encourages “everyday forgiveness” to build resilience and minimize stress in families, schools, healthcare, workplaces, and communities. Everyday forgiveness is taught through the Forgiveness Foundation, an education and outreach hub organization.
Dr. Toussaint’s work has been highlighted in a number of media outlets such as TIME, U.S. News, and the New York Times.
Lecture description:
Did you know that being a forgiving person can help you live a longer and healthier life? It is true. Scientific research shows that forgiveness is linked to better mental and physical health, improved happiness, and enhanced overall flourishing. Forgiveness has even been shown to increase your life expectancy as you age. You might wonder why forgiveness can be so beneficial. It turns out that many times in life we are stressed by the ways that people treat us, injustices that occur in our families or workplaces, and difficulties with spousal or romantic relationships. This stress can truly add up and can have numerous harmful effects. Forgiveness is a productive coping strategy that addresses these types of stressful events in ways that can be soothing to both your mind and body. In fact, in one study, the most forgiving people were able to reduce the negative effects of stress on their mental health to almost zero. Forgiving yourself and others is a key ingredient in a healthy approach to living that emphasizes spirituality, meaning, satisfaction, and wellness.
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