You’ve heard about “affirmations” since the dawn of the Stuart Smalley. They’re those “I statements” that go something like this:  I am grateful. I am lovable. I am open. Proponents of affirmations say—without reservation—that they work, releasing you from years of pent-up fear, pain, and shame.  But is there any real science to back this up?  The answer is unequivocally: yes.