Fake Medicine Works

I was reading in my Intellectual Devotional this morning about "The Placebo Effect."

It seems that it can be partially explained by brain chemistry. Brain image studies have shown that when a person takes a placebo, it triggers the release of endorphins.

In other words, if I believe I'm going to feel better, I will.

This, obviously, may not work on big things like cancer or total knee replacement, but it works on every day kinds of pain.

Interestingly, the opposite works as well. In one study people were given a sugar pill and told that it induced vomiting. 80% of them threw up. This is called "The Nocebo Effect."

How can we make this info work for us?

Well, we could spend lots of time around people who bring us down and have nothing but negative things to say.

Or we could get ourselves around people who are upbeat and affirming - as I'm going to do this afternoon when I meet with my Power Rangers.

As a fellow public speaker used to say to me:

"If you want to soar like an eagle, don't hang around with turkeys."



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