The mind/body connection is something that has been under great debate for many, many years. How does a person's mental state affect their physical self? Terms like psychosomatic have emerged as medical justifications for the mind's seeming ability to have direct consequence on the body.

In keeping with that discourse, researchers from the Medical School Hannover in Hannover, Germany uncovered evidence to suggest that there is, in fact, a mind/body link -- particularly when it comes to the psychological effects of heart surgery.

The researchers posit that a patient's perception of illness and conviction for recovery is of great import. Moreover, based on the research, it seems equally important that patients' maintain a positive perception of their overall recovery.