The Power of the Placebo

Your mind can be a powerful healing tool when given the chance. It has been known for millennia that your brain can stimulate healing. Now, science is finding that the direction of our consciousness can be just as effective as conventional medical treatments.

It had nothing to do with being gullible and nothing to do with our vulnerabilities. Esteemed university campuses around the world continue to uncover new, and potentially therapeutic, applications of the placebo effect in ALL individuals. A vast array of different conditions have been addressed through the power of thought including acne, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, erectile dysfunction, ulcers, multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis, rheumatism and colitis.

It is not that people are just imagining that their symptoms had improved, without any real physiological changes taking place. Brain-imaging technology has verified that real, measurable physiological changes are occurring.  Studies found that, when taken as pain-killers, placebos brought decreased activity in parts of the brain associated with pain, and made use of many of the same neurotransmitters and neural pathways as opioids and marijuana. In other words, the placebos were actually causing the release of endogenous chemicals in the brain. In a similar way, researchers found that, when taken by patients with Parkinson’s disease, placebos could cause the release of dopamine in the brain. Other studies have shown similar neurological changes relating to depression, anxiety and fatigue, and other physiological changes such as blood pressure, heart rate and the activation of the immune system. Studies of the use of placebos in comparison to anti-depressants have suggested that much of the latter’s effect is due to them working as a placebo.

What is fascinating about the placebo effect is the revelation of the incredible power of our ability to direct and use consciousness, and how consciousness is the essence of life and physical manifestation.