Placebos work if you don’t know they are placebos

Expectation is a powerful thing.  A placebo is a substance or procedure which a patient (a person who is ill and has sought treatment from a medical professional) accepts as a medicine or therapy but which has no specific therapeutic activity for the condition. Click here for the Wikipedia definition of placebo.

Since a placebo is presented by the medical professional as the “real thing” (a curative medication), the fact that it often works is thought to be based on the power of suggestion.  What that means is if you believe it enough you’ll live it.  What it comes down to is that your body has healing powers and they are enhanced by positive belief.

The placebo effect occurs when a patient is treated in conjunction with the suggestion from an authority figure that the treatment will aid in healing and the patient’s condition improves in spite of not receiving “medicine.”  This effect has been known since the early 20^th century.

Placebos and pain relief
In a research study 85% of people who took what they thought was an expensive new drug experienced pain relief.  Of those who thought they were taking a cheaper drug, 61% got relief.   However, all were actually given a placebo.  Therefore, the pain relief came about because of the belief that a pill would work and the mind’s resetting itself to feel less pain.

If you are suffering from pain, or many other debilitating conditions, please look at our ideas for mind training that can be used as a positive tool for healing.

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