The
placebo effect is a powerful example of mind over body. It is especially
potent when the individual has an expectation of benefit…
The
placebo effect helps us to understand the powerful role that faith
and belief can play in many aspects of good health. [p424]
The hopeful brain
The Hopeful Brain refers to the ability of the human brain to heal the body. This is accomplished through what is called the placebo effect. The placebo effect is simultaneously one of the most amazing aspects of the human brain and one of the most misunderstood. It is amazing because it shows that the brain is capable of bringing about the same level of healing for a range of disabilities as the most powerful drugs developed over the past century. It is misunderstood because many think of it as something that is “just in your mind” and has no true physiological effect on the body. This chapter shows that the placebo effect is illustrative of the ability of the mind and the brain to marshal many of the same effects that are brought about by the best that the pharmaceutical industry has to offer for healing the broken body. [p415]
