Showing someone pictures of people helping or taking care of one another mitigates his/her response to threat, danger or provocation. The amygdala is the area of the brain that decides our response to threats. Studies show that the response this area gives to threatening faces or words is strongly inhibited by the preceding view of scenes of affection and emotional support. These results are also seen if the scenes of ‘help’ are viewed by the onlooker without paying attention to what is shown. The calming effect these images have is particularly evident in people who suffer from anxiety. These results open the road to the development of preventive or therapeutic strategies in people with certain mental disorders. In particular people who have undergone psychological trauma might find benefit in simply viewing certain appropriate images. Studies are also trying to assess if people who during the years of growth helped directly or indirectly in programs supporting those in need, are better prepared psychologically to face psychological trauma that might concern them directly.