Placebo: Heal Thyself
Mere belief that recovery is coming can by itself bring the recovery about.
People rely on a variety of sources of information for foretelling the future. It is clear that the placebo’s message – to the effect that ‘this treatment will soon make you better’ – can be conveyed by any or all of them: learned associations, explicit instruction, rational argument, magical reasoning, trust in authority, and, of particular importance, subtle social cues of the kind called ‘bedside manner’ (so that, for example, the same placebo pill may work consistently better when administered by one doctor than another). But, by whatever route the message comes, the patient must have the right mind-set to receive it.
People have learned – their culture has taught them – that nothing is a better predictor of how things will turn out when they are sick (whether the pain will ease, whether the infection will abate, whether they will be nursed back to health) than the presence of doctors, medicines, and so on. …the very prospect of medical attention – the patient’s belief in it – works its magic for the simple reason, stemming from the general rule above, that for most of human history, once a sick person has had cause to think that he will soon be safe and well, he has had just the excuse he needs to bring on his own recovery as fast as possible.
The Placebo Effect by Nicholas Humphrey (PDF)
[Placebo] works for a reason, because it gives people a safety signal. It gives them the belief that they are in a secure environment in which they can now release their healing resources, they can afford to let down their guard. Placebos work because they suggest to people that the picture is rosier than it really is. Just like the artificial summer light cycle for the hamster, placebos give people fake information that it’s safe to cure them. Whereupon they do just that.
The Evolved Self-Management System by Nicholas Humphrey
More:
Health Management System
YouTube: Placebo: Cracking the Code
Placebos Work Even Without Deception
Image: Placebo Pilules
