--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <jst...@...> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, ruthsimplicity <no_reply@> wrote: > <snip> > > Expanding a bit, the placebo effect to the lay person seems > > to have a negative connotation. In fact, the power of > > placebo has some interesting implications. Benson, the > > relaxation response guy, coined the term "remembered > > wellness" as a more positive spin on placebo effect. So, > > the placebo effect can be a good thing. Suggestibility > > isn't all bad. > > Well, that's one way of rationalizing the body's self- > healing capabilities. >
The body does have amazing capability to heal itself. To a point. We still all die and our bodies inevitably break down with age. Some illnesses are almost guaranteed to kill you. Other illnesses never go away even if they don't kill you. But that is different from the concept of placebo, which is, in its pure form, suggestion and expectation. A form of conditioned response. It is the comfort we feel when someone pays attention to us and tells us this pill, this technique may make us feel better. Think back to being a child and how mom could make your boo boo better by kissing it. Placebo effects are rarely big cure-alls. The may be more prevalent where being a bit more relaxed about things can help with an illness. For example, a placebo given to treat the effects of an enlarged prostate may make it easier to pee effectively as the genuine drug. The prostate is still enlarged, but the expectation of a positive result can reduce nerve activity and the relaxation can make it easier to urinate. Where feelings are important the placebo effect can be more pronounced. From drugs for mental illnesses to relaxation or meditation techniques to improve quality of life. The effects may be temporary. For example, a mediation technique could result in some perceived benefits to a group of new meditators in a study simply due to placebo effect. But there is a good chance that the perception would fade over time and the practice dropped. The conditioning just wasn't strong enough.
