The superpowers of aquariums don’t stop at making you feel better emotionally! They have even been shown to reduce negative sensations in the body and increase positive ones.
One study (Katcher, Segal, Beck) compared dental patients’ responses to viewing an aquarium before dental surgery as opposed to their responses to hypnotherapy.
They found that both forms of treatment “produced significantly greater degrees of relaxation during surgery,” but the aquarium group was actually more relaxed than the hypnotherapy group! In addition, the same effects were observed concerning the patients’ perceived pain levels during the surgery. On top of that, the patients who observed the aquarium required less pain medication after the procedure.
This is a fantastic perk for people with chronic pain for any reason, whether it be from an old injury or physical condition. Since the aquarium can act as a form of hypnosis, it takes your mind away from the thoughts of the pain in your body, and the perceived pain diminishes.
This article by Mind Valley explains how taking your mind away from pain in your body can help to physically reduce it. It's relatively short, and gives some practical techniques to use in your own life.