A recent University of Copenhagen study revealed that people who are deprived of donating substantial sums of money suffer from various afflictions ranging from sleep disorders to frequent episodes of severe depression.
“The study showed test subjects had diminished cognitive abilities during the donation-free period”, said Uschi Znamenak, lead study author. The study found that the body-mind system’s overall functionality decreased by at least 25%.
On the other hand, the study volunteers who were guided to make donations, even people who are usually very careful with their salaries, slept calmly for eight hours, or at least until they felt rested.
The control group had no medical or other disorders and expressed no need for medications, nicotine, alcohol, or caffeine. Nine of ten excelled on difficult math tests, and their physical fitness was evident in the fact that five completed the Cooper test in less than 10 minutes.
“This is the first time anyone in the world has quantified the effects of donating deprivation,” said Znamenak’s assistant, Soeren Krakengaard. “The most evident example is the test group 2. Before the test, we subconsciously questioned them to confirm they hadn’t donated for at least 5 years.
Subconsciously, which is the key term here, they were exposed to various subliminal advertisements, web pages, and the like offering the relieving opportunity to send money away. As always, succeeding is believing. However, the direct connection to the subject of the charity was at least confusing, not to say distressing.”
The debilitating effects affect many areas of life, including medical and safety personnel, and may critically impact important public services; seasonal circumstances also seem to play a role, as they noticed this last beautiful autumn.
The study also highlights the challenges everyday people face when forced to make crucial decisions amid constant, donation-driven deprivation, and that people actively involved in volunteer work in their communities benefited from these activities.
“If a policeman is suddenly posted outside the station, for example, to save a helpless kitten stuck in a tree from certain death, his or her motivation may be insufficient to overcome the effects of what we now call the money-clog syndrome,” said Dr. Uschi Znamenak. Nonprofits need more than just a vision! It needs to be visible and recognizable.
However, the Copenhagen study shows one fact most scientists are unaware of. Any sign of a donation purpose, or attempts to “validate” reasons to donate to a particular institute/NGO/ZOO, greatly increases nervousness in subjects. This may be a groundbreaking point for thousands of suffering patients around the world.
The fact is, if you don’t make change, change will get YOU! Christmas is around soon, and if you want to change your donating habits, do it now. This is the right time, wouldn’t you agree?
Located at Copenhagen’s Wolfowitz and Women’s Hospital, the study’s donation lab used infrared video cameras, audio equipment, and physiological recorders to monitor subjects’ behavior. As the researchers said, not revealing the target beneficiary requires discipline, like people who are used to running long distances.
“People here in Denmark seem to dislike hearing anything about discipline. It sounds so German”, they said. Anyhow, no one seems to have a solid argument against the results. A more likely scenario is that we’ll hear more about the Copenhagen study in the future.